The Moon Affair
by Waddiwasi95
Summary: If you're Harry Potter, you have to watch your mouth when you speak publicly. Otherwise the words that were said for effect can get you to the threshold of dangerous adventures and into the heart of someone else's terrible secrets and your death for someone the only acceptable way to solve a problem. Author: o.volya. Translator: waddiwasi. Beta readers: echomcl, petite vie.
1. The Moon Affair

**Summary**:

If you're Harry Potter, you have to watch your mouth when you speak publicly. Otherwise the words that were said for effect can get you to the threshold of dangerous adventures and into the heart of someone else's terrible secrets and your death for someone the only acceptable way to solve a problem.

**Thanks**:

Thanks to my wife for fixing mistakes. Thanks to Rowling and to the Strugatsky brothers for the worlds that they immortalised in our imaginations.

**Limerick**:

Once upon at the large congress

Harry boasted to the hungry press.

I will Apparate to the faraway Moon,

What a lucky he was baboon,

That almost died in forbidden lune.

**From translator:**

Hi! This fanfic was translated, but I'm not native speaker, so I asked two assistants (echomcl, petite vie) to help me, but it tooks some time to correct my work. If you liked this work very much you can help us in public beta version

url: shorturl . at / sDIV3


	2. We can't predict…

**We can't predict… **

what journalists will make big

The claps of Apparition filled the Salem University of Magic's conference room, which was a little more than half full, a neatly dressed old man with a beaming face apparated from one corner to another, to the center of the hall and then to the stage. There, he stopped his sequence of Apparitions and stood beside the lectern.

"Thank you, Mr. Filch, for your convincing demonstration. Sit down, please." Harry Potter gestured the man to his place and continued, laid before his mind's eye the lines of his speech written by Hermione.

"Two generations of witches and wizards in the UK know Mr. Filch as a squib who has never even conjured a lumos in his entire life. Nevertheless, he mastered Apparition. And he's not the only one. We can present fifteen documented cases of this ability being obtained in squibs of differing ages and sexes. In terms of established views on the nature of magic, it was simply impossible. But they didn't get any additional magical power. As they're still not able to handle magic with classic methods. How has this become possible?

"It's become possible thanks to the efforts of an international creative team of young scientists, lead by Hermione Granger. Thanks to their efforts we have a new understanding of the practice of Apparition, and the Nature of Magic in general.

"The scientific community can read the details in the monograph, 'A New Look At The Nature of Apparition', and for the members of the press present here, I will explain the main idea as simply as possible.

"Wizards, with our tools of magic: wands, staffs, amulets, runes, gestures and thoughts etc., we have the ability to command the magical energy that feeds us.

"The strength of the effect of our spells varies from one another and generates talk about personal strength.

"However, spells are not the only way we can access global magic energy, sometimes it's enough to ask correctly, and magic will be created without any connection to personal ability. Thus, squibs are able to whisper their requests and be heard. And of course, normal wizards have such an opportunity."

Harry Potter stood on the stage of the conference room watching the reaction of the audience, Hermione was supposed to be there however such long trips did not suit her as she was pregnant and had to stay on the Island. He could explain the theory and present her monograph, 'A New Look at The Nature of Apparition'. But when he looked out into the hall, he saw that the scientists weren't enjoying his speech. He wasn't surprised, the youngest of them was twice older than him, and the oldest must have seen Dumbledore as a schoolboy. And now some little brat encroached on their basic understanding of magic. The journalists on the contrary showed keen interest and were apparently looking forward to a series of topical articles.

After Harry completed the 'mandatory program' that was concerted with Hermione, he started rolling up and preparing for the debate.

"The work on the new understanding of the nature of magic still continues, but now the magic community needs to reconsider their views on the methodology of Apparition study in the light of materials that were provided by our research team.

"I hope that our conference will develop recommendations, to the governments and schools, to reduce the age limit of teaching Apparition by methods that are based on this theory. Moreover, I hope that the scientific community will support the mandatory possession of the skill of Apparition for all wizards and squibs. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

The negative attitude of half the audience showed up in questions, Potter answered calmly and confidently.

"No, Muggles can't learn Apparition by this method. The presence of a minimum magic gift is still necessary.

"Yes, of course, the discipline of the mind is the key to mastering Apparition, but who says that children can't learn it. Besides, who would say that they don't need this discipline.

"Yes, not only has Mr. Filch learnt Apparition, but other squibs have as well. Details are in the monograph 'A New look at the nature of Apparition'.

"The formula focus-persistence-slowness and the actual methods don't reflect the essence of Apparition, and therefore the reason why the accident rate is so high. Our technique of approaching it step-by-step eliminates this problem.

"The problem is accurately imagining the place of arrival, but this is easily solved with the help of photos and videos. The monograph presents the results of experimentation with Apparition by way of photos, drawings and even old engravings.

"No, limitations on the distance of Apparition is a myth. Theoretically, there are no limits. You can Apparate to any point in the visually presented space and the place of arrival can be as far away as the Moon."

One more hour of discussion and the 'respected public' went into the halftime... to the buffet. Potter was surrounded by journalists. Now, in the informal part of the conference, the topic of the questions were far from science. A short man in a bowler hat and a frock coat in the cage made his way first.

"Mr. Potter! Weekly A Magical world. This is the first time we've seen you as, not a soldier, but a scientist. What are the reasons for your dismissal from the British Auroriat? What is the reason of your confrontation with the present Ministry?"

"There are several reasons for both, but the main reason is that I do not want to be a thoughtless cog in the bureaucratic machine of an irresponsible Ministry."

"Is the reason in a political area?"

"Yes. The current course of the Ministry completely devalues Britannia's sacrifices made by the war with Voldemort."

"Will you run for minister of magic in the upcoming election?"

"No comment."

Harry slid his eyes to another journalist, passing him the baton of questions.

"Mr. Potter! Magazine Children Of Kukulkan. As far as we know, уou're planning to spend this week in Mexico. What interests lie in Central America for you?"

"Tourism, I'm unemployed and unburdened by the prophecy, I can afford to just see the world like a tourist," Harry lied to the journalists with a smile. Tourism was a benefit and a cover for meeting some amigos; Mexico was one of the important links in Hermione's commercial projects in not quite so legitimate projects.

For a moment, Harry was blinded by the camera's flash. The previous journalist was pushed aside by a young witch in light green. It was Mary Skeeter, the daughter of the notorious Rita Skeeter, who he had already met repeatedly in the last couple of years.

"Why, Mrs Skeeter! I didn't expect to see you at a science conference."

"Any conference is interesting when Mr. Potter is present," she spewed a sticky web of flattery. "You wouldn't refuse to say a few words for the Witch Weekly?"

'Who thinks what, but Skeeter about private life,' Harry thought and nodded.

"How is your young wife? Why isn't she at the conference? Is it because the Potter family will soon have an heir?"

"Well, that's the way it is, so Hermione will not be able to be as active as before, but I would like to note that most of the work on the theory was done by my wife. And I just helped in practical experiments."

"That's wonderful! And tell our audience, why did your wife keep her maiden name in marriage? And why did you get married in the Muggle world?"

"Hermione and I (like all the other wizards in Great Britain) are the subjects of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth, and there is nothing unnatural in complying with British laws and regulations. About Hermione's maiden name… There are several reasons, and their explanation will take too much time. You can consider it a sign of my boundless respect and love for her."

The situation was actually more complex. Her name was too important to their cause to be given up. Thousands of people knew her and believed in Hermione Granger, but Hermione Potter would be something new and unusual. Hermione Granger was already a developed brand.

Skeeter was replaced by a young wizard dressed like Harry himself, quite in a muggle way.

"Newspaper Lumos. Mr. Potter, are you seriously saying that we can Apparate to the Moon?"

"There is no limit to the distance of the Apparition. Theoretically, it's possible to Apparate to other celestial bodies," Harry thought one of the irresponsible young wizards might foolishly try to do this and decided to clarify the issue. "But I don't recommend trying this, to anyone without special equipment, because in space there is a vacuum and people who aren't protected by a spacesuit will instantly die."

"But if you had a suit, could you Apparate beyond the Earth."

"It is possible with a spacesuit."

The conversation was interrupted by the initiator of the conference, the Chairman of the Scientific Council, the honourable Matus Ira apologized and led Harry away from the journalists by the elbow.

"Young man," he said, "put the Moon out of your mind, please. Don't turn science into a show."

"Mr. Ira, I never meant for that," Harry Potter was offended but Mr. Ira did not feel resentment and nodded with satisfaction.

"That's good. Don't talk about the Moon. Nothing good will come of it." And he added in a strange tone, "you ought to appreciate what you have."

A week later, a conversation with his angry wife awaited Potter at home in Grimmauld place.

"I had to leave you for a week and you had... bust your ass again." Hermione raged.

"It isn't my fault, I didn't say that I'd jump to the Moon!" Potter denied. "I just said that it's theoretically possible."

"It doesn't matter what you really said. The whole world repeats this nonsense in chorus. Listen to this!" Hermione continued, waving a copy of the American Lumos. "The sensational statement of the famous British wizard Harry Potter that he is going to Apparate to the moon, continues to shake the American magical community. We have already collected several bags of letters in our office with expressions of delight and words of support to the hero. 'Society of friends of Harry Potter' announced a fundraiser for the purchase of a spacesuit and in the first week raised 100 thousand pounds, only part of the amount needed to buy it. The society members hope they could make it; the valuable and necessary gifts for the hero for such a great cause."

"One more from the French Tour Magique: so putting into global practice the points of the new theory will make our earth smaller and magical community more united. It's what we need in these troubled times, when Muggles are on the verge of unveiling our world. But, as always, conservatism of scientific and administrative community slows down new trends. To overcome their resistance the author of the theory decided on an unprecedented, in boldness and persuasiveness, step. Apparition to the moon and back. If the demonstration declared by Monsieur Potter really takes place, his opponents will not have the slightest argument against this theory. And it will be impossible to continue to slow down the progress by hiding behind ethics. On the contrary, this behavior will be evidence of incompetence, laziness and cowardice. Our newspaper expresses boundless support for Mr. Potter and his charming wife and wishes them success in their endeavor."

Harry was smiling as he looked at the 'charming wife' that was reading extracts from the articles. Strong emotions always graced her face. Indignation, joy... And now, despite his wife's irritation, contemplation of her gave pleasure. Besides, he didn't speak French, so Hermione's rapid translation was interesting.

"And this is from yesterday's The Prophet," Hermione threw away the French newspaper and took from the table a familiar conservative newspaper from the Ministry. "It looks like the glory of winning over Voldemort is not enough for Harry Potter, his statement about conquering the moon is only a cover for his true activities.

"It is not a coincidence that the silly prank about 'flying to the moon' was made right after Potter allowed himself to, again, publicly criticize the Ministry of Magic.

"All of these statements and actions of the ex-auror hide from us one indisputable fact: Potter is preparing for decisive action to seize power in Britain. After killing the Dark Lord, he is gradually taking his place. Doubtful theories. Clubs of wizards who supposedly do science. And now we see a decisive entry into the global stage and a veiled appeal to the undecided youth to stand under their banners. These signals cannot be interpreted in any other way…"

Hermione threw the paper away.

"Those bunch of old bastards and seniles! They're just cowards and paranoid!"

Harry handed her a vitamin cocktail, which was made while she emotionally read extracts from the articles. She took slow breaths in and out, completely relaxed, and accepted the goblet. Then he sat down beside her.

"Hermione, I have already read most of the press. At least in English, so I had time to think. And I'm sorry, but I gave my prior agreement to this venture."

It was good that Hermione had already managed to calm by the technique that had proven its worth over the years. The admittance of her husband did not bring her to a new round of indignation, but only made her look at him reproachfully.

"We've been given a chance to begin the transformation of the magical world that we have dreamed of since the days we lived together in a tent. You understand better than me that the wizarding world will soon become defenseless against the Muggle world, do you remember the research those guys from Durmstrang have done, by your request? About the limit of undetectability of their school. We all were shocked that Muggles already have maps of the area, in which the school was defined. Even if it's not done in the optical range but otherwise, you can see Durmstrang on them.

"And then the experiment of the Norwegians who broke Fidelius of Chris Alden with a simple fishing echo sounder. While working in Aurorat, I heard that just us, British wizards are so isolated from cooperation with the Muggle government.

"The picture is different in other countries, especially in former superpowers. In Russia and the USA, the pressure of Muggle governments on wizards was enormous; they involved and will continue to involve them in the affairs of their states. The days when Muggles will talk to mages from a position of strength are not far. And it will be a nasty dialogue."

Harry had been keeping silent, he then took Hermione's palm in his hands.

"Honey! Mages have nothing that Muggles can't do and if a wizard loses his wand, he often becomes simply helpless and pathetic. Apparition ability is still one of our real trump cards, especially if this ability becomes a bargaining chip if we can Apparate to other celestial bodies.

"The magical community, from a backwards group, can turn into the vanguard of humanity under the exploration of other planets, the Elite, and the first step towards establishing this state of affairs should be my jump to the moon.

"After that I will be able to talk about our future relying on global fame, as my fame as a winner against Voldemort does not extend beyond Britain, but the problem must be solved all over the world at the same time.

"Yes, it is a high-profile show, and indeed we can get a lot of political benefits. But long-term benefits are more significant than immediate ones. And the failure or refusal to Apparate to the moon will cost us much more than we can imagine now. So... We present need like a virtue and fly to the stars!"

Hermione buried her face in his chest, arms wrapped around his back.

"I know it has to be done, but I'm afraid. What if I'm wrong? What if I overlooked something important that's related to space conditions? Something that has no equivalent on Earth. What if I lose you because of my mistake?"

"You're afraid for me, but I'm afraid for you. More precisely for both of you," Harry smiled and put his hand on his wife's pregnant belly. "It's a normal fear, but we can't hide each other in a lacquered casket, we can't give up life and refuse our roles. You won't become a housewife, and you will continue your activities even from home. And I won't be a stay-at-home, even if I wanted to. We cannot evade the struggle and the risk. But now, at least, we can make the decision ourselves."


	3. A journey of a thousand miles

**A journey of a thousand miles... **

begins with a preparation

Hermione woke early, as usual. Not hurrying to move from sleep to wakefulness, she caught the transition state in which she remembered everything she had dreamed the night before she woke. She never gave dreams much weight, but followed a previously made decision to understand their nature, she tried to test different theories to find which one was closer to life. It was too early to draw conclusions, but logging the dreams was a rather interesting activity.

The subconscious mind responded to the current events in a very strange way. Tonight, among other things, Hermione dreamed that she asked Luna Lovegood to name one of the extraterrestrial creatures as Wrackspurt.

Harry's moonlight scam was already firmly settled in her subconscious. They had to start working on the details without delay to maximize the chances of a successful conclusion to this adventure.

Slipping out of her husband's sleepy embrace, she dressed in her house clothes and went out into the corridor, intending to go down to her study on the second floor of the Black's mansion. As the bedroom door closed behind her and she took a few steps, a strong gust of wind swept through the hallway, and it became pitch dark at the same time. At the tip of the wand, which appeared instantly in her hand, the light of Lumos lit up, however the darkness that surrounded her did not dissipate. The darkness was not the result of a lack of light, it was caused by a cloud of tiny particles that absorbed light from the lamps on the walls. The idea suddenly visited Hermione - It's a Peruvian darkness powder, but spells that previously helped to cancel the effect of the powder didn't work. Thick, swirling darkness refused to disappear.

"Well. If the magic didn't work, physics will help."

Hermione's wand began to spin around, gradually accelerating. The air in front of the enchantress began to whirl like tea in a cup that was stirred by a spoon. Some time later rotating air became like a small tornado that ripped off all lightweight non-fixed things. The heart of the tornado thickened. The black trunk of an artificial tornado emanated not from the ground, like its natural counterparts, but from a wizard's wand. Another spell, and the vortex disappeared with a clap, and the air stopped, scattering objects along the corridor.

The darkness didn't entirely disappear, but it had become transparent, and the wall lights began to do their job dimly illuminating the corridor and the stairs.

Applying the Night Vision spell, and just in case, Bubble-Head Charm, Hermione carefully proceeded down the stairs, throwing small Lumos balls in the direction of movement. As she started down the stairs to the living room, the stairs disappeared beneath her feet. The fall lasted a split second. A wave of the wand — a nonverbal spell caught and began to smoothly lower her. The gloom below was less than at the top and it was possible to make reconnaissance in the room without hindrance.

Even before Hermione's feet lowered to the floor, she noticed a slight change in the living room. The bearskin rug in the center of the living room had been pushed aside, and there were two extra chairs around the table. Hermione interrupted the spell before she lowered to the floor, sent Stupefy into the skin and covered herself under the shield. As it turns out, it was very timely. The shield blocked two red beams that had come from the table side and one more that flew from the fireplace. Attackers were de-cloaked. They turned out to be small, oddly dressed dwarfs with staffs and nosy masks. They continuously fired at Hermione's shield, not giving her a second to counterattack. The fourth dwarf laid stunned on the bearskin.

Having instantly assessed the situation, Hermione, holding a shield, using a jump, reduced the distance and as hard as she could kicked one of them in the googlies. The dwarf lost his staff and flew away to the wall, hissing in pain. His mate, still casting spells, drew an axe, but he did not have time to hit. Hermione's hand thrown sharply in his direction had sent into him a repulsion spell and a second attacker crashed into the wall, slipped to the floor and froze. From the start of her pregnancy Hermione's wandless spells began to work out extremely well. Keeping an eye on her fallen opponents, she shifted abruptly. At the place where she had stood, the parquet floor swelled, stakes and spikes begun sticking out of it, and one more beam struck her shield. Hermione moved without stopping, dodging the aggressive floor and holding the wand shield. She was throwing chairs at the fireplace with her left arm like a real Jedi. Finally, one of the chairs knocked down the grate, struck the enemy that was hiding there. Taking advantage of the pause in attack, Hermione cast the Incendio spell. The fire in the fireplace forced the attacker to roll out to the floor with a scream, to get hit by the warrior.

Four little carcasses, immobilized and bound, was left lying in the living room when Hermione, holding wand at the ready, moved to the door of her study.

The Homenum Revelio charm maintained that there was no living soul on her path, but the sense of danger told her that the threat was still not out of the woods. She looked around the remaining meters to the study. The ceiling was clean, the walls were decorated with paintings and molding. The carpet lay on the floor along the wall, and a marble flowerpot with flowers stood in a corner.

Looking back at the living room, Hermione fixed her gaze on the bearskin. Hermione pointed her wand on it and spelled a few words in Latin, after which the flat lifeless skin of the polar bear suddenly began to bulge and fill with volume. A few seconds later, a huge bear stood in the middle of the living room and looked at her, waiting for her command.

"Go ahead," she ordered.

The bear went to the cabinet door. Nothing happened. He stopped in front of the door and turned.

"Try to open the door," the next order came.

As the bear's paw touched the doorknob, the carpet, like a measuring tape, curled up into a roll, swaddling the bear's carcass. The marble flower pot soared into the air, described an arc, and would have fallen on the head of the immobilized prisoner, if not for the reaction of Hermione, who captured and repelled the deadly shell with a spell. The cancellation spells cast into the carpet stopped his aggressive activity and again turned the animal into a lifeless bear skin. The trap was defused.

Keeping the wand ready Hermione went to the study door and opened it carefully. There were no more surprises. Standing in the doorway of the cabinet, she turned to the living room and said sternly:

"Kreacher!"

One of the bound and immobilized bodies stirred feebly. Hermione removed the bonds and spells from him and the grotesque mask as well with a wave of her wand. The house-elf, it really was him, immediately rose from the floor, approached his mistress, and bowed with the dignity befitting the eldest elf of the house.

"Kreacher is here, mistress."

"How can you expect to be understood with this wretched spectacle that you have just showed to me? I am grateful for the morning exercises,

but it seems that we agreed on a completely different. We agreed that obstacles would always be as hard as possible, and until this day you and the assistants did this well. So why are you playing giveaways this morning?"

No shadow of regret was on the house-elf's face.

"Kreacher exactly followed the orders of his master and the Head of the Family. Kreacher had been instructed to be more careful with his mistress and the heir's mother. Which was done."

The house-elf bowed, his expression shone with joy from the good execution of the orders of his master. Hermione threw up her hands.

"Really! Harry decided to show concern? Well!" she looked determined, "you must follow your master's orders, but... As the wife of the master of the house, charged with the care of his health and life, I order that the degree of difficulty of his morning training be increased to that of slight bodily injury."

The elf looked at Hermione in horror. She pulled a knitting from the back of the sofa and showed it to Kreacher.

"I don't have time to knit a baby's shirt. But I swear I'll knit you a jumper and give it to you. I will knit it an hour a day, whenever Harry does not complain to me about the difficulty of the morning's exercises. And I forbid you to tell him about my order."

After house words Kreacher really down, and looked at his mistress with despairing eyes, but she was implacable.

"Go. If you need help, hire more."

The elf bowed and disappeared, and Hermione, after a moment's thought, turned and crossed the threshold of her study.

The room came alive. The curtains opened to let in the morning light. A huge monitor lit up and a computer tower flashed with its LEDs on a futuristic-looking computer Desk. Across from the glass and stainless steel table was another table made of bog oak decorated with carving. An old desk solemnly pulled a bronze inkwell with a goose quill from a carved pencil case and opened the calendar for the current date. The presidential-class leather chair between the antagonistic tables turned around, inviting the hostess to get comfortable.

Of all the pieces of furniture, only the sofa and trellis did not react at all to the hostess. Sofa simply had nothing to suggest, but the trellis was very offended. For nearly two hundred years, it served the noble cause of making beauty, and only the current mistress has never used it. Moreover, all his glasses were turned into two-way mirrors, so the trellis had become a tool for teleconferences. Well, there was no way to stay unoffended!

Granger turned to the filing cabinet. Massive, tall, ancient, he greeted her with the glow of labels on the boxes. Its contents were the most important of all her treasures. It contained about sixteen thousand personal files, which were not only sorted alphabetically, but also marked with categories. Hermione was very proud of this idea, which made it easier for her to manage the organization. For example, the same file can be found in folders labeled 'potions', 'France', 'Muggle-born', and you could extract three folders at the same time, in which case they will contain files that matched all these criteria.

She started to collect these documents after the Battle of Hogwarts, when the glory of the winner of Voldemort, the knight of the light and the protector of the innocent, fell upon Harry Potter.

The glory literally fell upon him. There were thousands of letters, at first from all over the UK, and then from around the world. Potter simply didn't know what to do with them and and Hermione came to aid him. The letters that arrived each day were scrutinized. Even muggles knew how to capture in-depth findings about a person's character by his handwriting and style of writing, to say nothing about wizards.

Using a whole arsenal of recognition charms, Granger literally conjured each letter and real people with their fears, hopes and desires appeared before her through lines of letters. And she had been answering each of them based on her knowledge.

Some received a polite thanks on behalf of Harry, but with some she started a deep and meaningful personal correspondence. And she made for all correspondents, without exception, a personal file in her filing cabinet.

His brother, the second filing cabinet was irreversibly destroyed during the battle, and the family of Macnairs donated to Hogwarts the new furniture, including a couple of new filing cabinets. This Old one became unnecessary, and Madam Pince gave it to Hermione.

For the most part her correspondents were muggle-born wizards or half-breeds who understood that in the magic world, even after defeating the Dark Lord, they would remain second-class people. Living at the crossroads of the worlds, they understood what the muggles' technical progress was and how the magical world was inadequate.

Hermione didn't impose conclusions on anyone. She had simply asked a series of questions to each person and had pressed for appropriate replies to them. And as the result of this process all her correspondents agreed that 'The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy must be repealed, and wizards must join global muggles society on honourable terms'. So the first circle of loyal like-minded people was formed.

Harry did not participate in this process. He had other interests at the time. Hermione convinced him to continue his education at Hogwarts despite Ron's fierce resistance. The fact is that Kingsley generously guaranteed that the trio would be admitted to the Aurora Academy without exams. And Harry was going to the Academy with Ron at the end of the summer, but Hermione arranged for him some very informative meetings with students and graduates in which he realized the degree of his unpreparedness.

In addition, his decision to stay at Hogwarts much influenced by Ginny Weasley, who liked the prospect of spending a year at one desk with Harry. He decided to eliminate his learning gaps and finish his education. Ron didn't want to go back to school, but neither did he rush to go to the Aurora Academy without Harry.

Weasley had enjoyed his 'holiday' for a whole year. The fame of the 'hero's best friend' pleased Red very much, and he wasn't missing any opportunity to use it, especially since Harry willingly sent Ron instead of himself to all sorts of events. He heartily enjoyed these moments, and especially female attention. He completely forgot about Hermione, and she was even happy, after she had mourned her love.

All these years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger never stopped her organizational activities. Several teams of young magical researchers were formed to work on the tasks set by Granger. But in addition to scientists, her influence also extended to many entrepreneurs who implemented the results of research into market products that brought profit not so much in the magical world as in the muggle one.

She didn't forget about the pariahs of the Wizarding world — the squibs and the creatures. A large number of squibs living in the Muggle world or at the intersection of the two worlds were well aware of the threats that hung over the magic world. And, despite their low status, most of them willingly participated in the affairs of Hermione. Especially those young squibs who have just realized their disabilities and were suffering from such a blow of fate.

Under the leadership of Hermione Granger and with the assistance of her agents, such Squibs began their successfully career in the Muggle world. It was a long-term plan that was supposed to give a dozens of powerful figures in muggle economy and armed forces.

House-elves didn't remain without attention too. All the 1998-1999 school year, Hermione built relationships with the house-elf's community, actively using the fame and help of Harry Potter and his elf Kreacher. The bas-relief of Dobby, made by Hermione, appeared on the wall in the Hogwarts kitchen. But she no longer led the propaganda of liberation. Now she was interested in elven magic, especially elven apparition, which impressed her to the depths of her soul during the escape from the protected citadel of the death eaters.

It cannot be said that eared creatures revealed the 'holy of holies' to her, but she received some important key information from communicating with them. At that time, the theory of an alternative apparition arose in the thoughts of Miss Granger. It's the cause of her current distress.

Hermione pulled out a folder labeled 'birthdays and other personal holidays' and sat down at the 'old desk'. Her day usually began with this folder. Although there were rarely less than forty files in the folder, it didn't take much time. Over the years of correspondence, Granger has formed a rich collection of greeting templates. All she needed was to choose a suitable and previously unused template for each recipient and give the order to the quick-quotes quill.

As the quills creaked and congratulations poured out on paper, Hermione began to write on a sheet of paper the problems connected with Harry's lunar adventure and the ways to solve them.. There were three groups of problems: Financial, technical and scientific. The first was very painful. The organization's funding sources were very unstable and unreliable. But, thank Merlin, Hermione had a person on whom she could dump all the worries about finding money. Her hand clearly wrote the name Katarina Shott on the paper.

Kat was a half-breed from Germany, at the same age as Hermione and Harry. She just graduated from the Beauxbatons in the year of the battle of Hogwarts and like many European wizards came in the summer of 1998 to help rebuild Hogwarts.

At the beginning she also had romantic intentions to get acquainted 'with great Harry Potter'. But after she had saw how the hero of magical Britain drooled over the youngest Weasley, she dropped her plans. Instead of these plans, during reconstruction of Hogwarts she met and became good friends with Hermione. So much so that she took over financial issue from the beginning of the active period of organization forming, because Hermione always was too shy when it came to money but Schott had a tight grip. Well, except for brains, her beauty helped her succeed in negotiations, unlike Hermione, she used her trellis as intended.

Kat could be reached by muggles channels, so Hermione spun around in her rolling chair and rode to the modern desk Her Skype status showed that Kat wasn't online. The German woman never got up so early. Hermione typed on the keyboard a message with a proposal to meet tonight at Grimmauld and discuss the sources of funding for the 'Lunar program'.

Granger was in no hurry to return to the 'old desk'. The second group of problems, 'technical', also had its reliable organizer. And contact with him was by modern means too. The right hand of Hermione on any issues associated with the organization's supply was a muggle-born wizard from Serbia, Goran Jovanovic. Harry jokingly called him the 'Caretaker'.

Goran was an extraordinary man. During the civil war in Yugoslavia in 1994, his family was brutally murdered by Croatian militants. After being notified of this, Goran escaped from the magical school, cleaned out Potions cabinet as well and began to take revenge. According to him, he managed to find and punish everyone before he was arrested by the Balkan Tribunal of wizards and received a long sentence.

In the summer of 98, Goran wrote a letter to Harry Potter from prison, in which he lamented that in Britain revenge for killing a family amounts to a feat, and in the Balkans it was a crime. Hermione drew attention to the letter and entered into correspondence with him. Two years later, she had Jovanovic case reopened, defended him, and tore the prosecution witnesses to shreds by manipulating the contradictions in the Balkan legislation and the numerous oversights in the preparation of the case. The Balkan Tribunal was forced to change the wording of the judgement and, accordingly, the prison term, and as a result Jovanovic was released on the spot owing to the end of prison sentence.

Harry later was asking Hermione about the ethical side of this action, after all Goran did not deny that he was guilty for the death of five Croats and disabilitating fifteen (he castrated those who participated only in rape, and blinded those who simply watched and did nothing). And received an honest answer.

"When Hagrid brought your lifeless body, and we were all forced to contemplate the triumphant face of Voldemort, something died in me. Children's book world, with its humanism and concepts of good and evil died inside me. Veneration of elders and wise, also died. Respect for written laws died in me, finally and irrevocably. I practically was born anew. Then I was wanting to kill. And I did, Harry. Before your sudden resurrection and duel with Voldemort, I had taken the lives of two or more. And you know, I was happy. I fully understand Goran. He is a murderer, but he was within his rights."

And so, drop-out student, murderer, and yesterday's convict, with support from Hermione, launched a business in Muggle Europe. The highly profitable part of Goran's business was shady and smuggling-related. The legal, but less profitable business served as a cover and a way to legalize income. A small fraction of Goran's income was going to Granger's accounts, and allowed her to not be distracted by worries about daily subsistence. The Serb's loyalty to Hermione was absolute.

The task of finding out everything on the issue of buying a full space suit was sent to Goran's email address. There was no need to mark it urgent. Jovanovic always put off all matters on any of her requests.

There remained the last group of problems, 'scientific'. And Granger haven't evident deputy in this area. But there were talented assistants who could be entrusted with those tasks. For example, she worked on the new theory of apparition with the 'Royal brothers'. This was the name that several Muggle-born wizards called themselves who had studied at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology.

There are no schools like Hogwarts or Beauxbatons in Scandinavia. Personal home schooling in small groups flourished there. The separation between purebloods and Muggle-borns was much stronger. Old families traditionally provided their children with high-quality education from strong mentors. The local Ministry, of course, was tracking the emergence of, among Muggles, magically gifted children, but their education was significantly worse than of purebloods.

Chris Alden was a teacher for Muggle-born students for many years and was broadcasting ideas of integrating muggle and magical worlds in Scandinavia. Following his advices, several tens of Muggle-borns continued education at universities in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The largest group was formed at the Royal Institute of Technology. And Granger long ago attracted this group of 'Royal brothers' to her work, and it was they who experimented with apparition distance, so they, of course, will get the task of rechecking this topic again. But there was no clarity regarding being on the moon's surface and the dangers related with it.

What does she know about the moon and space? She had to admit to herself that if she discarded her knowledge of the use of the moon in magic rituals, she knew little. The gravitational field strength on the Moon's surface is one-sixth of the Earth's. The distance to it is about thirty diameters of the Earth. The moon rotating on its axis for a time equal it rotating around the Earth, so it is always turned to its outer neighbor with one side. Vacuum. Cold. Radiation.

Hermione glanced at the computer screen. It was a good thing she'd managed to get off the lightning protection from the Black house, otherwise there wouldn't be any orderly flow of electrons now, not in the form of a 220-volt home network or Internet data packets. And someday she will break this protection in Hogwarts too, that would be the future come into the walls of medieval citadel. Truth, she needs to become a Director there.

After some time, tired of the endless information garbage and often copy/paste, Hermione was distracted by the sounds coming from the living room. The thud and hiss of spells came from behind the closed doors. Something blew up loudly, and Harry stumbled into the room, disheveled, splattered with some kind of slime. Slamming the door, he leaned against the jamb and spoke wearily:

"I'm never leaving the bedroom without my auror battle suit again."

Granger smiled. She won't have to knit today.


	4. Company in the market

**Company in the market...**

_is better than money in the chest_

In the evening, people poured into the living room of the house on Grimmauld. While Harry told Schott the details of his trip to Mexico, accompanying his words with documents, Hermione greeted visitors passing through the fireplace and the front door. Watching some comrades in the old-fashioned way kissing the hand of house mistress, showing signs of respect, Harry caught himself thinking that it was like a scene from the life of the mafia. Don Granger, her 'caporegime' and 'consigliere' [1].

As a former law enforcement officer, Harry could not classify the activities of his precious wife's organization in any other way. Well, really! This is certainly not a sect, although someone worships Granger. And this is not a terrorist organization (Thank Merlin!). But this is not a political party. No slogans, no symbols, no actions for legal entry into government, which is typical for parties. From the side you can't see any social activity, except for scientific activity, which obviously can be related with Grangers organization.

But this organization is not harmless at all. It is built according to the classical scheme of secret cells. An ordinary member of the organization knows only his cell partners and theirs contact. The messenger knows of a regional 'caporegime'. And all know common, indisputable don — Hermione Granger, who recruited a half organization members personally. Anyone who joins and takes a rather harsh oath becomes part of the family and can count on the help of the entire organization, if required. And help was provided many times. But loyalty and readiness to take commands fast and clearly was required.

Granger used akin methods of enrichment and gaining political power as a mafia. Not being a political party, the Grangers organization nevertheless had agents of influence in all European and some Asian and American magical governments. However, this influence was still small. But it was.

Strengthening the organization directly depended on funding and mafia tactics also manifested in this. However, unlike muggle underworld Grangers mafia do not used humans sins, but rather it 'delivered the goods and committed weal'. Is it bad if someone will quickly grow hair on his head or, for example, an ugly birthmark will disappear completely. Or the sores will disappear. And aphrodisiacs and means to increase potency — they are just a gold mine!

Businessmen vigorously squeezed themselves into the niche of trading with all kinds of 'panaceas', pushing out from her brazen charlatans. The task was facilitated by the fact that the products manufactured by Hermione's company really helped. They included a certain amount of real magic, it was illegal in terms of magical law, which Hermione violated carefully and cautiously. Labs and manufacturing facilities were located where enforcement of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was weak - in India and Ethiopia. The market was mainly in Europe and the Middle East, but the path has already been paved to the United States. And through the efforts of Harry, the path should turn into a broad road. During a trip to Mexico, he personally negotiated and helped to developed one more potion manufacturing facilities point in order to enter the North American market with a broad range of products.

As if in response to his thoughts, the fireplace in the living room lit up a green flame, and an elderly and somewhat plump gentleman fell out of it. Hermione lifted him to his feet with a wave of his wand and cleaned his three-piece suit of ash.

"In Britain, the Floo Network works somehow sharper than in the United States! It is absolutely impossible to stand on your feet!" he complained to Hermione. "Upon my word, you must show me a more suitable place for the apparition, nearer to the door of your house, than the platform on Diagon Alley, which I aim at every time."

Hermione promised him a small walk around London after the meeting, and contented with life and themselves, an old American man walked to Harry.

Mr. Joseph Brewster was one of the squibs who had learned the Granger method of apparition, though his name did not appear in the monograph. It was decided to hide his newly acquired abilities in order to keep secret the bonds between Joseph and Hermione's organization. And there were reasons for secrecy.

He was the offspring of the old pureblood magical family, which lineage goes back to the first settlers landed on American soil on Board 'Mayflower'. When Joseph Brewster realized that he did not have magical powers, he began to pave the way among the Muggles. Not without the help of his family and its connections, he became the owner of a group of Newspapers and magazines devoted to mysticism and anomalous phenomena. This business afforded the owner not only a remunerative returns, but also the pleasure of contemplating the events on both sides of the Statute. Need to clarify that such success his business was due not only his organizational talents, but and close cooperation with the Ministry of magic of the US, and more precisely with explanation department. Brewster's tabloids always effectively draw the wool over the public eyes when magical government needs it.

Mr. Brewster's usual life has changed a lot since he met Granger. She was his personal apparition instructor. And this fact plus expressive, but unobtrusive propaganda made him a loyal supporter of the young reformer. Since he was recruited, Brewster became the head of the American sector. He slightly changed the emphasis and tone of his newspapers, and now their goal was to prepare public opinion for the realization that a magical world exists.

He also headed the American direction of the search for 'forgotten wizards'. It's no secret that some parents did not let their child go learn magic. And someone of them considered it pure evil for religious reasons. And such children grow up and lose the spontaneous ability to 'ask magic' without gaining the ability to 'give orders'. But as adults, they do not cease to be wizards. They are not educated, but they are mages. Something abnormal happens to them all the time. They can sight what others don't see, because Muggle-Repelling Charms didn't affect them. They can do something that ordinary people can't. And Brewster's agents sought out these 'lost mages'. The newfound mages got a personal mentor from among the members of the Hermiones organization, and step by step they infiltrating the organization and magic world expanding the human and resources base on which Hermione could rely on.

"But what a fuss you've made in the press, Mr. Potter!" enthusiastically said the American shaking his hand. "Just hysteria, I suppose. Simpletons incited by that rascal Flagherty, even began fundraising for a spacesuit. Well, the big deal is!"

"I doubt that these enthusiasm will last long," said Harry, "of course if it will not be promoted especially. But we will decide now at the meeting if it is worth doing or not."

"It certainly is! Conquest of the moon is a cause that worth the risk. By the way," Brewster's eyes narrowed, "it could be a major embarrassment if you will appeared on a Hollywood film set instead of the moon".

Harry looked at Joseph with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Don't you know about the most popular conspiracy theory of the twentieth century? About Americans falsifying their flights to the moon?"

"No. I don't. Is it possible to falsify such a grand affair as a flight to the moon?"

'"That's the thing, that there are people who believe that it could be done. There were rumors, that despite the hundreds of thousands employed in the lunar program, only a few hundred people had the reliable information, and the rest got it from their hands. That NASA could not achieve reliable operation of the last hydrogen stage of the Saturn rocket. That the photographs from the moon are fakes. Again, a flag was waving in a vacuum. And so on. In general, this theme was very propitious, and my newspapers have earned a lot of money, publishing false disclosures."

Harry looked at him doubtfully.

"And do you believe that yourself?"

"Well, I will say..." Joseph thought. "Of course, there are many inconsistencies, but each of them has a more or less reasonable explanation. But that's not the point. Everyone forgets that flying to the moon was just an episode in a fierce space race between the US and the USSR. So the Americans would not dare to do such things under the watchful eyes of the Russians. You can trick public and pull the wool over their eyes, but you can't trick the great experts on the other side of the iron curtain. So, I guess that the lunar missions were real, but in an effort to gloss over the reality, NASA screwed up and gave a lot of reasons for suspicion. Just in case, do not use official color photographs, they may well be staged. For aiming it is better to use live recordings. It's for the best."

"I'll take it into account. Thanks."

Harry was puzzled. Until then, the idea of unreliability of photographs did not visit him. But reflections he left for later, because Hermione asked all sit down to start meeting.

"My friends. Before we start talking about kings..." she gestured to Harry, "and cabbage," she rubbed fingers together making cash sign gesture, "and while Goran is late, a little message from our man from the Bourne Hall Clinic about the success of the program code-named 'Cuckoo'. Not everyone knows about it, so I need to explain."

Hermione's sly glance at Harry made him blush slightly. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Each year, more than 200,000 children are conceived in the world as a result of artificial insemination. Some children are born to married couples, for some reason unable to achieve fertilization in a natural way. But most children are born to single mothers. And for them, clinics like Bourne Hall store donor sperm.

"The idea of this programme isn't mine, it started with John Dobson," said Hermione, gesturing towards the man who established his presence by show of hand and a wide smile. "His father works at the clinic. John suggested involve male wizards as official donors for the clinic and, at the same time, replacing all existing biological material. Thus, we hope to collect extensive statistical data on the specifics of the inheritance of magical abilities and create the artificial population explosion in the magic community. Spermatozoons collected today in a test tubes will go to Hogwarts in a few years, and later they will join us in our main problem — the dismantling of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy on our terms.

"This program has been launched recently. About a year ago. We have achieved a complete substitution of donor sperm in this clinic and more than a hundred babies have already been born. Potential mages. But this is only the beginning. There are hundreds of such clinics in the world, and we need access to all of them. In the future, all artificially conceived children, without exception, must have a wizard as a father. So think about possible solutions of that task in your regions and take care of donors and biomaterials. And again..." Hermione's sly and promising look caused a rush of blood to his ears.

Harry was flooded with vivid memories of how Hermione's lips and fingers took out his 'biomaterials'. It was a couple of weeks after he and Goran had rescued her from Azkaban and taken her to their home at Grimmauld. On the night of September 20th after her Birthday celebration. The day before, during a gala dinner, Dobson jokingly expressed the idea of a 'cuckoo', but Granger really liked the idea. And she began to implement this project with someone who was at hand, with Harry. Giving up hope on official career, Hermione became hyperactive and violent. She did not acknowledge obstacles to her goals, only Avada could stop her. Harry didn't try. He remembered how ridiculous were her arguments about the need to fulfill Trelawny's prophecy that she made on their fifth year. Supposedly the Minister's position is not a problem, but she was not ready for twelve children. Fun is fun, but after this prophecy 'strictly business' relationship as something gradually developed into deeply personal. Although... Maybe the cuckoos were just an occasion... Who knows what's in these women's heads?

While members of the meeting cheerfully discussed demographic prospects, Jovanovic appeared. He bowed to everyone, whispered a few words to Hermione, and sat on the sofa next to Schott. Hermione told everyone to be quiet and continued the meeting.

"Let's get back to the main subject. Everyone is aware that by coincidentally, Harry has found himself at the center of the publicity, related with its supposed apparition to the moon. On closer examination, we considered that this idea is very promising although it involves a real risk. If all goes well, Harry will become such a popular figure that he can finally publicly raise the issue of the future of wizards. Of the exit from self-isolation and the Statute repealing. You know that clauses directly prohibiting discussions of the Statute repealing will send any ordinary wizard to jail. But the Hero and Conqueror of the moon will not be at risk. And for this, today we must outline how to make a jump to the moon, how to minimize risks and how to make the most of the situation."

She asked the Serb:

"Goran, tell us what you found out about the spacesuit?"

He didn't get up from the sofa. Because he was tall and clearly visible.

"I worked out the opportunity to buy a spacesuit. It is very ambiguous. A new fully equipped spacesuit would cost more than one million dollars. And I'm only talking about Russian suits, because American suits are much more expensive and much worse." Goran smirked a look at Joseph Brewster and continued. "Spacesuit is considered a good souvenir among Russian oligarchs, so on sale there are simplified models for 400 thousand dollars, but they are airtight and have a working life support system. Because all the oligarchs, having received such a gift, climb into their pools in order to test it on 'hydro-weightlessness' and nobody has died yet. I will check whether they can be modified for use in space. Too bad buying a real, full suit by a private or legal person is simply impossible. Scientific-production enterprise 'Zvezda' make them under a long-term agreements. However, we always have illegal market. I think that it will be possible to purchase for cash a working 'decommissioned' suit through the management of the plant. As a last resort, I can always arrange unauthorized, gratuitous removal of a suit."

"Goran! Come on without stealing!" Hermione demanded. "The only thing missing was to start the development of the moon by wizards from crime. Let's do everything legally and honestly."

"Yes, domachica [2], if you say so," smiling broadly Jovanovic bowed his head in sign of humility. "In General, my verdict is 400 thousand for a relatively workable demo spacesuit or one million dollars for the full version. But I don't know yet how to buy the full version."

"You should work in this direction. But without any crime." Hermione looked at Katarina. "Well, Kat, what about the money?"

Katarina Schott shook her head doubtfully.

"We have money, but they already allocated for existing obligations. In addition, we have loan payments from Gringotts and other banks. Thus, we can allocate four hundred thousand dollars, slowing down the Mexican project by at least six months. And I can't say nothing about a million." Katharina shrugged his shoulders. "But I suggest to raise as much as we can through the Harry Potter friends society and make money on the event itself. For example, to advertise on a spacesuit or set up an auction among broom manufacturers for the right to provide a broom for the first flight on the surface of the moon."

Harry imagined himself riding a broomstick in a space suit painted with a Formula 1 ad and shuddered.

"I can donate a hundred or two thousand dollars," said Mr. Brewster.

"I can donate a hundred, too," Goran said.

Other offers from the comrades followed, but Harry thought some of them overreacted and overestimated their capabilities. Nevertheless, Hermione looked pleased.

"Well. Let's say that the financial issue will be resolved when necessary. Now a little about the risks."

She paused, gathering her thoughts and choosing the words.

"The theory of apparition, which we have repeatedly confirmed on Earth, actually does not guarantee a successful jump to the moon. So Harry was premature with his statements."

Everyone looked at Potter, who was in the spotlight and smiled guiltily: 'Well, what's now'.

"You know there is a 'fundamentalist' and a 'vitalist' concept of magic. The first concept believes that magic is part of laws of the universe and presents everywhere, where they act. Including in space. The second one says that magic is generated by the life. That it is part of the Earth's biosphere. And if so, then Harry will be able to jump to the moon, but he could not go back there."

Everyone looked at Potter again, but the views were different. Sympathizer. Encouraging. Admiring.

"The Royal brothers will try to check which theory is correct. If they find convincing evidence that the 'vitalist' theory is, then we will quietly close down the operation and, as compensation, we will reopen the discussion about 'vitalism' and 'fundamentalism'. In another case, it remains to take a chance and find out the answer in practice."

"How much time do we have?" Lars was clearly happy with such fundamental task. He had a chance to step out of Hermione's shadow, if through research of his group a breakthrough will be made in the issue of reliability of these two theories.

"I can't say for sure, but it's about two months."

"That's not enough. It is usually terribly difficult to research magic. Because it's not electricity, and you can't measure it with a multimeter. Everything much depends on the wizard and, therefore, it is subjectively. Thousands and thousands of experiments are required to get at least some patterns on the background of statistics. And these experiments should be carried out in the center of the Sahara, and in the mountains of Tibet, and in the center of Mexico City or Daly. Two months is unreal. Give me more!"

"I wish I could, but I can't. As soon as we have a spacesuit, the public will demand a show, and any delays will be disadvantageous for PR. So the timing depends on Goran and Katarina. Ah and on this society friends of Harry Potter. By the way, Mr. Brewster. What can you tell us about them?"

The American old man rose from his chair.

"The leader of the community is Samuel Flaherty, a Lumos journalist who interviewed you, Mr. Potter, at a conference in Salem. He is from a family of immigrants who left Britain during the first magical war, and he was born in the United States. His parents were saved from the death eaters by the James Potter team, so your name is highly revered in his family. Young Flaherty inflated your 'moon clause' to the size of a sensation, and I suppose he was guided by the well intentions. And he organized the fundraising for the spacesuit," Mr. Brewster bowed in Potter's direction and added, "I think, Mr. Potter, you ought to to meet this character personally. But not before he asks for a meeting."

Harry nodded. It was logical. If you go first, you will become a supplicant, but thus friends of Harry Potter should be supplicant. It's fucking psychology!

"So. While Goran is looking for a spacesuit, Catherine is seeking for money, and Lars is seeking the truth, others also have something to do. I look forward to suggestions on the following issues. How irrefutably prove our visit to the moon. How to provide event recording. How to provide additional protection for Harry from the dangers of space?"

The brainstorming continued for a long time in a house at Grimmauld, hidden from the eyes of ordinary people. Nearly nothing depended on Harry in this dispute, and he quietly left the living room and went upstairs to the mansard. The room in which the hippogriff once lived was full of dim moonlight. Harry went to the window and looked at the orb of night.

If the moon sliver in the sky looks like a letter 'C', it is a 'crashing' moon, last quarter. If moon sliver turned in the opposite direction, then, you can mentally draw a lines to it and get the letter 'R'. It is a 'rising' moon, i.e. first quarter. The lines of mnemonic rules for remembering the phases of the moon drilled into his head by Aurora Sinistra came to mind. The moon, hanging in the night sky over London, passed its first quarter. But a few more days remained before the full moon.

"Whatever happens, it will be my monument. Triumphal or tombstone monument."

[1] Caporegime is a rank used in the Mafia for a made member of the crime family who heads a 'crew' of soldiers. Consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confidant, the mob's version of an elder statesman; he is an advisor to the boss in a Mafia crime family, and sometimes is his 'right-hand man'.

[2] domachica (in Serbian) - mistress.


	5. Many a little makes

**Many a little makes...**

_the spacesuit for Potter_

Harry Potter was sitting on a stool in the middle of the living room of the house on Grimmauld with bare breasts, in jeans, sneakers and a backpack. The 'Royal brothers' concerned for him, under the direction of Lars Jr. Some were putting a sensors on his body like a web, others were setting up strange Muggle equipment and loading it into a backpack, which already contained fully charged uninterrupted-power supplies for it. The Norsemen were viewing Granger's task as a labour of love, and Harry was already howling at their diligence. Today it was the fifth series of apparitions to the Antipodes Islands. As for London, it's the opposite end of the World. They were located at the opposite end of the earth relative to London.

Last time they did not use Muggle equipment. They confined themselves to diagnostic charms and some potions. But since Hermione was seriously worried, the young researchers decided to try something new. Harry lamented the fact that he didn't understand anything of what they were doing.

"Don't worry, we don't understand either," Lars laughed. "There are no such research techniques in the world. Right now we are collecting statistics, which we will then analyze and look for patterns. Then, on this basis, we will make assumptions and will conduct several more experiments. The second cycle will give several working hypotheses, and the main brainstorming session will be around them."

"Can you finish on time?" Potter asked incredulously.

"Before your jump? Definitely we can't. All what we are doing now is clearing our conscience. Don't tell Hermione," Lars said in a low voice. "We really can't determine anything new yet. Neither confirm nor deny. Combination of Muggle and magical is an open field. We are pioneers who go by touch, and we have not assurance in anything."

It's hard to say that Lars's words encouraged Potter. But he wasn't in the mood for good news, so he wasn't even really upset. And the just mentioned Hermione appeared in the room. She was accompanied by grumbling Kreacher.

"The young mistress should let Kreacher jump onto the moon. She cannot risk the life of Lord Black, of our master."

"Kreacher, you will die there without protective clothes, but you will not accept clothes from us. So there's nothing to talk about."

"Kreacher could jump one way only. Without clothes. Kreacher could deliver to the moon something that will confirm that he got there, for example two-way mirror," eared kamikaze stubbornly continued to embrace his position.

Hermione bawled her eyes out to that proposal. The Scandinavians who listened to the quarrel laughed.

"Your house-elf is quite creative, Mrs. Granger," Lars Jr laughed. "At first I had the same idea to send the house-elf for one-way trip, but I was stopped by inhumanity of this experiment," he hastened to add, seeing the angry look Hermione.

"Kreacher! Stop! I don't want to hear any more proposals of that type from you." She turned to her husband, "Harry, tell him!"

Harry smiled happily, like everyone else, but he was also touched by the devotion of a house-elf with a heavy fate.

"Kricher, the problem is not to jump, but to return to Earth. So your suicidal jump won't make any sense to us, and it won't protect me. But if we need your help, we will use it surely. For now, we can do everything ourselves. Thank you," Harry was considerate, "and now bring everyone lemonade."

The elf left and everyone went back to work. Hermione went to the table with Lars, and one of the assistants, having finished connecting the equipment to the UPS, patted Potter on the back.

"Did you get some rest Harry? Do another series. But at this time we will make pair apparition. Take me with you, we will take a break in the island."

Harry felt sorry for all the lab rats who had fallen in the name of science. He keenly felt the spiritual connection with them. Rising to his feet with a heavy backpack behind shoulders and taking the Swede by the hand, Potter apparated to the desert island on the New Zealand archipelago in the South Pacific.

Lumos editor-in-chief Robert Nielsen and journalist Samuel Flaherty, asked for a meeting a week after the meeting. They were ready to meet. Jovanovic has already agreed to buy a spacesuit in an 'extended souvenir version'. Behind this wording was hidden the agreement that the complete set will be as much as possible, practically for the same amount of money for which others receive a simple carcass. There was no equipment for remote monitoring of the cosmonaut's life parameters and special means of communication, but most importantly, life support systems were in working order, and all layers of protection from space conditions existed. He did not spread how he managed to agree, but he assured Hermione that everything was legal, and that good people had helped him.

Granger and Schott also prepared. Harry was not interested in their affairs, but he knew that Katarina had rushed to the US for preliminary talks with the editor-in-chief of Lumos. So there will be no surprises in the upcoming negotiations. At least, surprises for this couple of adventurers. No one demanded anything from Harry himself, he only urgently grew hair that had been previously lost in the name of science.

The meeting took place on the neutral ground of the Plateau restaurant in Canary Wharf. The company settled into a private office and surrounded themselves with charms. Following an exchange of courtesies, they moved from words to deeds.

"Mr. Potter, we appreciate your cooperation," the editor-in-chief, a round-faced old man beamed like a polished Galleon. "We have already discussed with your financial adviser, Ms. Schott, the details of the exclusive rights to cover the event and to a series of pre- and post- interviews. A special international issue with an increased circulation will be dedicated to your feat. And 30% of the advertising revenue in this issue will also be transferred to you after the sale of the circulation. So don't let us all down. Make a show!"

Nielsen spoke quickly, not allowing himself to be interrupted.

"As I understand, the main difficulty is in buying a suit. And our newspaper has already done a lot in this direction," at these words Samuel Flaherty, who was sitting next to the man, winced, but said nothing. Nielsen kept babbling.

"Our employee has already raised almost 300 thousand dollars, and he is ready to give them to you. Mr. Flaherty is an excellent employee! It was he who pushed that first sensational story into the issue without waiting for my approval. Because I was taking a vacation with my granddaughters that week. But Sam is so smart. He just has a natural instinct for bombshells. I'm sure he'll take my position sooner or later."

The journalist's face alternately reflected doomed patience, bewilderment, satisfaction. When the editor-in-chief calmed down, and the conversation became more like a dialogue, they got down to business. Hermione accepted Flaherty's check and the enchanted package that contained about seven thousand letters to Potter from the readers of Lumos. Hermione's eyes even lit up when she saw such broad front of work. The envelope, of course, went to her. In return, she told about the preparations and the approximate timing. Editor-in-chief is especially interested in the question, where exactly is going to apparate Potter. Several American landings on the moon in the late 60th, gave a very rich photographic material. There were many options, but the final version will be determined depending on the date of the jump. The place of arrival should be on the shady side of the moon, so that on one side the wizard is not exposed to solar radiation, and on the other hand, signal that confirmed his arrival should be clearly visible.

The talk turned to ways to send a signal. Previously Hermione and her mafia agreed that the best signal that confirmed his arrival would be a flash on the surface of the moon at the appointed time. Or better yet, a series of flashes. But after a cursory examination of the problem, it turned out that the flash power must be incredibly large. Grangers team had no idea how to do that. (Except rejected idea from Goran of stealing a tactical nuclear weapon from the military). Then Katharina Schott suggested constructive thought. She suggested to make a contest among the producers of magical pyrotechnics. As a reward, the winner will get fame and publicity. Well, the use of its products respectively. In this case, the help of the press as a whole and Lumos in particular was required, which the parties have now agreed on.

Then the conversation turned to the video recording of the entire event of apparition and stay on the Moon Hermione promised journalists in the near future to organize a test of cameras adapted to work in high vacuum. Harry mentally took the magic pyrotechnics in one hand, and a tripod with a camera in the other, if they can not make it levitating near with him. When the talk turned to a promotional flight on a broomstick, the potential pilot was outraged.

"Stop. Do you suggest me to keep a broom between my legs at apparition?"

The young ladies laughed, and the press smiled too.

"Well. We got carried away," agreed Hermione. "We will organize the second leap with a broom".

"If the first one will be successful of course," a little pessimistic thought, Potter.

Two weeks after their meeting at the Plateau restaurant, Harry found himself on another plateau, in the heart of the Sahara desert, almost at the intersection of the three states of Chad, Niger and Libya. It was hot, but after the dank and damp London winter Sahara felt like a comfortable place.

The Tibesti plateau included several peaks. Potter's point of arrival was on the slope of Mount Tarso-Taroko, theoretically it was at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. The sea that was very far from that place. But at real this place protruding a little above the surrounding cacophony of red-hot stone and sand. The landscape was truly lunar.

Goran, Dobson and the only Chinaman in Hermione's mafia named Wun Dzheming apparated next to Harry. All of them were with companions, representatives of the pyrotechnic firms. Serb arrived with representative of the French, british was accompanied by the American, and chinaman arrived with tribesman wrinkled old man named Pan Wayan. The Royal brothers, Samuel Flaherty and Katarina Schott joined them. Following an exchange of courtesies, Lars Sr. had escorted everyone under the awning and assumed the function of moderator.

"Gentlemen, samples of your products have already been installed on the slope of the Tarso-Thun volcano, just below the top that located 25 kilometers from here. You can observe the tests with these telescopes and binoculars," he pointed to several simple telescopes mounted on tripods, and binoculars lying on a box. "We will record and measure the flash with a photometer, and in simultaneously, this video camera will record the experiment."

Lars pointed to other equipment connected to a laptop on a folding table. There were two cameras actually. One with a professional lens was really aimed in the direction of the test site, and the second, showed what was happening under the tent. Potter knew that both of them transmitting video to Hermione's computer through satellite. He smiled at the camera and waved.

"How objective is this Muggle device?" the American said doubtfully, pointing to the tripod of the photometer.

"Oh! Do not worry. It is objective enough," the Swede smiled. "I can demonstrate."

He went to the equipment and removed the protective cover from the lens. At the same time some kind of chart on the laptop screen stirred up a little and numbers began to changing. Lars explained:

"This is the power of light reflected from mountains and clouds. Let's take it as a natural minimum. Now look."

He loosened the lock and pointed the lens at the sun. The graph on laptop jumped to the full height of the screen.

"This is the maximum we calibrated the device to. The parameters of your flashes should be as close as possible to this maximum. Because your flashes must overcome not 25 kilometers, as it is now, but almost 400 thousand. And even a flash comparable to sunlight," he raised his arm and pointed a the sky, "there will be comparable only to light of the fourth magnitude star..."

He taken aback when he saw the blank faces of most people present at the event.

"Well, it'll just be visible to the eye. And the fainter flashes can only be seen through telescopes."

Lars returned the photometer to its previously position and made a radio call to his colleague who was at the test site. When Lars Sr received confirmation of the preparedness, he offered to start. Harry and manufacturers representatives nodded.

"The products of the reputable Bravura company will be tested first," Lars nodded at the American. "Now, on my signal, my colleague will activate the device and apparate to us here. Is everyone ready? Let's watch."

Lars tapped the button on the radio handheld speaker and spoke in Swedish:

"Kom ien."

Harry peered through binoculars at the distant mountainside. A bright little light flashed against the dark background. It quickly turned from white to yellow, then to red, then to yellow again, to white, and went out. Claps were heard, it's Hermione's mafia and the journalist of 'Lyumos' applauded the American Harry applauded too. The representative of 'Bravery' smiled in satisfaction.

"We thought that the unusual combination of colors could be additional proof of your success, Mr. Potter," he explained what happened referring to Harry.

"Yes, it's a witty decision," Harry agreed.

While Harry was talking to the Yankees, Lars's colleague apparated back to the test site. Lars received his signal of readiness and drew attention to the next test.

"The second flash was provided by 'Palais du Rire'," he nodded at the Frenchman. "Let's watch".

Again short signal by the radio and minute of waiting. The second flash was not much brighter than the first and did not change its color, but the duration of the glow was excellent, almost ten seconds. The applause was louder this time.

"'The Palace of laughter' is always glad to make happy a favourite audience," replied the Frenchman, bowing with humor and sweeping the ground with an imaginary hat. "We would be happy if our laugh will lit up the moon."

While the Frenchman advertised the products of his enterprise, not without grace, the Swedes were discussing something with an old Chinaman. With Jeming assistance, of course. When Lars's staff returned to their seats, he drew everyone's attention and introduced the third applicant.

"Dear Pan Weiyuan is the oldest fireworks master in the Celestial Empire, and we are pleased to have his consent to participate in the contest. His product 'The wrath of the thousand-tailed dragon' is an ancient family secret and, according to the master, it has not been used for the last three hundred years. Get ready to watch".

The command by radio was given a third time. Apparition clap of employee that returned from the test site did not distract everyone's attention from the slope Tarso-Tun. It's been a really long seconds, and then a blinding star flashed. Harry tore his binoculars from his eyes and glanced at the laptop screen. The chart was off the scale. Stunned Lars closed the chart and showed signal from the video camera. All present stared at the mesmerizing show. A mushroom cloud grew over the top of the mountain.


	6. What a man says drunk

What a man says drunk...

_Potter keeps in Pensieve_

Harry could Apparate directly to Hogwarts, but that would be rude, and therefore he sent an official request to the Headmaster about his desire to visit Professor Longbottom. At the appointed time he stood at the familiar gate, decorated with snow-covered figures of wild boars, and waited for an escort. Internal regulations have undergone a major change with arrival of Minerva McGonagall to run the school. And Harry was forced to admit that former Head of Gryffindor was more adequate than Dumbledore who held this position half-century. Although... Maybe at Hogwarts it got a little boring.

The recognizable figure of Hagrid appeared on the road from the castle. The Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, aka Forester, did not hide his joy at the sight of Harry. Opening gate with a terrible creaking, he hugged Potter with his mighty hands, and for a moment Harry felt himself like a first year student, and something light and purely rang inside his soul.

"Hagrid, let me go!" he begged.

"I'm so glad to see you!" said half-giant, releasing the victim from grasp. "Why do you show up so rarely? You have forgotten us completely, no?"

They closed the gate and moved toward the castle.

"No. I haven't. But I haven't time at all. I got a lot to do."

"Yes, Harry. I know. You're so famous now. Even the centaurs in the forbidden forest are talking about your intention to jump to the moon. Oh, and they are dissatisfied, you would know. And why they are dissatisfied, I can't understand. Well, it will be good, if mages will be able to visit other planets, isn't it? There must be so many interesting animals."

'Well, the tongue ever turns to the aching tooth, but Hagrid to monsters.'

"Existing monsters are not enough?" Harry smiled. "Do you want more?"

"Yes, Harry. I want. Very much." sighed heavily forester. "I have not seen anyone new for more than ten years. Even opposite. Becomes less. You don't know. Do you? Recently all acromantulas were taken from the forest."

"Where have they been taken?"

"I don't know for sure. What I heard, they were taken somewhere to the reserve in America. The Ministry of Magic's ordered, and our Headmaster didn't mind," sigh Hagrid and waved his hand, making it clear with one gesture that he does not approve of McGonagall's position.

"Well, maybe it's best," gently replied Potter. "After Aragog died, it became difficult for you to negotiate with them. You told me."

As they talked, they reached the main entrance to the castle, and Harry went to pay his respects to the headmaster. The corridors of magic school greeted their former student with whisper of paintings and creaking of wooden steps and railings. The gargoyle in front of the headmaster's office cleared the way for him without further ado, and Harry climbed the spiral staircase to the familiar office. For more than ten years of the reign of Minerva McGonagall, the Cabinet acquired an imprint of her personality. The emerald carpet and drapes on the windows, the lack of shiny objects in the cupboards and shelves, the geometrical order on the table. All this were unlike Dumbledore's style. The hostess rose from the table and took a few steps towards the visitor.

"How do you do, headmaster?" Potter was the first to greet the eldest and position.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. Glad to see you."

She invited him to sit on the tea sofa in the corner of the office. The teapot with cups, serving items and pastries were already flying to the table.

"Mr. Longbottom still teaches classes. So we have time for a short conversation. Would you mind?"

Of course, Harry didn't refuse. After drinking a couple of sips of tea and answering the inevitable questions about his wife's well-being, Harry was waiting for the main question, because of which Minerva had planned a meeting with some reserve.

"Mr. Potter, I always thought I would make you this offer sooner or later. Now you are relatively free to dispose of your time and officially you do not work anywhere. Would you like to become a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts from next year? You don't have to answer right now. You have time to think," she finished hastily, seeing the look of doubt on Potter's face.

"Officially," he emphasized the word, "I'm out of work, but it doesn't mean that I'm not busy or I need money. In addition, I doubt that I'm good for teaching."

"I'm begging you!" McGonagall threw up her hands. "You do not need to doubt in your abilities."

"If you mean 'Dumbledore's Army', then it was a different format. I didn't have to follow the curriculum. And the most important, guys were motivated. That's why we had success. So my merit was small."

McGonagall pursed her lips.

"And yet you're a much better candidate than anyone who has ever taught DADA in these halls. Besides, I know that you and your wife are in opposition to the Ministry. And I want to assure you that I share your attitude. And I offer protection in addition to work if necessary."

Potter didn't give her a hasty answer. Actually, there were some reasons in the headmaster's words. Professor Hogwarts status may come in handy if not for him, then for Hermione. One more reason is... Where can they recruit young idealists, if not within the walls of educational institutions? And the position of the professor is very convenient for this. And, in addition, Hermione has repeatedly stated that 'if she were the headmaster of Hogwarts…'. And to become a headmaster, you must first work as a simple professor.

"I'll think about it," he said.

"That's wonderful," Minerva said, "but I have one more petition. Could you with your wife help Professor Flitwick create a humane anti-apparatus shield for Hogwarts? To protect against a new method of apparition of course."

It was an old problem. 'New apparition' actually was an ordinary elven apparition adapted for humans. There was no shield against her. Or...

"I'm sorry. Did you say 'humane'"?

McGonagall winced, and explained with a visible reluctance:

"In the restricted section of our library, of course, was found a version of the shield against elven apparition magic. But it involves the sacrifice of one of these creatures. We can't afford that, you know. We need to invent something else. It's desirable, if this will not disturbing domestic work of the elves. Your wife's assistance in this matter would be invaluable."

"Well. I'll pass on your offer to Hermione," Harry agreed, "But we're too busy for that right now. You know..."

McGonagall smiled like a loving grandmother at her grandson.

"Of course I know! If you only knew what revival your initiative has brought into Hogwarts's life. Irma made a special shelf in the library with books about the moon and space. Muggle-born students have brought from home a lot of fiction after the Christmas holidays, and now Muggle authors books are passed from hand to hand. They even read them in classes, and we were forced to take these books away. And latest courses are asking me if it is possible to organize courses on the study of a new method of apparition."

"Yeah... It is not bored here at all," thought Potter.

The clock on the mantel shelf struck softly. Minerva looked at it and rose from the sofa.

"Well. I think we'll return to this conversation. You have my permission to arrive at Hogwarts without requests, and I will be glad to see you. Professor Longbottom was housed in Professor Sprout's former rooms. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, of course. I was there with Ron a couple of times during the detentions," said Harry, smiling.

"Very good. You may go."

It's hard to say where Neville's office ended and the greenhouses started. The plants were equally dense everywhere. If in the greenhouses they braided with their shoots special columns and ropes, then in the office they braided window cornices, table legs, racks for clothes and bookshelves. A thick grassy lawn covered the floor of the study, and in one corner it seamless transited into a small swamp. In the sedge of the small swamp Trevor smug croaked. Or one of its descendants.

"Yeah! You already kind of settled in here," Potter even whistled of surprise, entering and looking around the room. "When I with Ron were sorting seeds, the office looked different."

The master of the study followed his guest in and also looked around his chambers.

"I didn't notice all the changes," he shrugged. "You just adjust everything for yourself to work and rest in the best way. And I have achieved the ideal. If you came more often, you would also not notice the changes and not be surprised. I suppose you're here on business now?"

"Yes, on business, Nev," Potter said. "On important business. So get out your glasses, it's gonna be a long conversation. And Monsieur Courvoisier will help our conversation."

And with those words, he pulled a bottle of dark glass with the words Napoleon out of his shirt.

"I understand, not just a conversation, but a request," Neville said shrewdly, and took the vessel from his friend's hand. "But first, by tradition, you will tell me about the family."

They went into the adjoining room, which was occupied by flora like the study cabinet. The semicircular table was adjoined to a portion of the wall with a window. It's center was occupied by a powerful plant with a short but powerful central stem and long shoots.

"Harry say hello to my pet, Chain. It's a little unusual, but you'll like it. Moreover, it is much more fun to enjoy the gifts of Dionysus in his company."

Neville with a smile walked over to the table and handed the bottle to Bush. The shoots of the pet curled around the neck of the bottle and attracted it to itself. Harry looked puzzled at Neville, but Neville shook his head and whispered softly to the plant, stroking with his fingers one of the fleshy leaves.

"Keep me with my friend company, please."

Harry disbelieving his eyes, watched as flexible shoots deftly unscrewing a bottle and simultaneously took out the glasses from the wall locker. Three glasses! Having completed with bottle, bush filled the glasses, and quite equally. The stunned guest sat down at the table and took his glass from the 'hands' of the green bartender. Neville enjoyed Harry's confusion and surprise. He also sat down in a wicker chair and took his glass.

"Callisia fragrans. Family: Commelinaceae. Order: Commelinales. Clade: Monocots. Plant Kingdom of course."

"How did you do that?"

"Well, I've done a lot of research on the Whomping Willow, and I've put the results into practice. In general, it is a long story, full of incomprehensible details to non-specialists I'll tell you later if you want. You better tell me about yourself. I haven't seen you and Hermione since the wedding. How are you? How's life together?"

Potter swirled the glass in his hands and agitate the contents. He smelled the pleasant aroma, then smiled and handed the glass to bush. The Bush clinked glasses with the guest, then it done the same with the host, and poured the brandy into his pot. The leaves of the central stem trembled. Harry chuckled, took a sip of brandy and listened to the sensations in his esophagus. The drink was definitely worth the money.

"Do you remember how, after the victory, we laughed at the article about the Golden Boy and his future? That the forces of the world will try to put Potter, who killed the Dark Lord, at his place. And only Granger will be the only one who will keep the hero on the side of the light?"

Neville smiled. He remembered this article. What kind of nonsense do not write journalists, heated up by incredible events.

"Well, now it seems to me that the forces of world missed a little and try to put at this place not me but Granger. And I'm doing my best to keep her from losing her human form."

Neville's smile was gone.

"Really. Is it so serious?"

"No, of course they don't. But it seems that only with me alone she becomes just a woman. And as soon as he leaves the bedroom, she becomes the Fuehrer. Purposeful, rational, uncompromising."

"So it's true that her research is just the tip of the iceberg, so she... you're plotting something?"

Potter laughed.

"Well. Do students talk about this at breaks?"

"No, of course they don't. I heard that from Luna. And her sources aren't usually very reliable. Therefore, I did not take it seriously. But you indirectly confirm this."

Potter thought that for the conceived deal, he would still have to tell some part of the truth. So he can be quite frank.

"Well, the Luna was right this time. Hermione really has some plans to change the current state of affairs, and for this reason she puts together a team. I became involved in her affairs relatively recently, but I can say that the results are impressive, and they were achieved by her daily tireless work. And because of this work some traits her character became 'sharpened'. Some years ago, she was just breaking the rules at school. And now she simply ignores the written laws and follows only her own principles. At school she helped me and Ron to study and then organized 'Dumbledore's Army', but now she has founded her own international organization and leads personal development of all its members. By the way, I'm a combative magic instructor. At school, she spent all days long in the library in search of new knowledge. Now she organized several groups that seek this knowledge instead her and for her. Well, she stepped further than us."

"So the new Dark Lady is coming?" Longbottom asked.

"At worst case, yes. But I hope that future will be more positive. Especially if our adventure does not end with a memorial service and the laws of the universe do not kill me. But since it's not guaranteed, I've decided to take care of business and I want to ask you to become my executor."

"Really?! And what about Granger? Why don't you choose her?" Neville was surprised.

"Because you have to care mostly about her," Potter drained his glass and handed it to Bush. He put three empty glasses in a row and deftly poured liquid into them.

"Neville," Harry continued, "I don't worry about money or things. Granger takes care of property issues herself. I want to give you dirt on some high-ranking official. It is a leash, they will bark a lot, but will not be able to bite. Will you help me?"

"Harry, you know me for ages. Of course I'll help you and Hermione."

Harry produced a crystal vial with a smoky blue contents from an inner pocket of his robe. Neville immediately realized that it was a substance of memory in the vial. Potter's words confirmed his guess.

"These are my memories of why Hermione was charged with Kingsley's murder, and how exactly those charges were dropped. Do you happen to have a Pensieve?"

"No, I haven't. I do not need it."

"Okey. I'll tell you everything in words, but if the zero hour comes, you can watch this memories with the headmaster."

Potter drained his glass with one fell swoop.

"This is how it was. Do you remember that Hermione after Hog began working in the office of Kingsley. At first in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, then in his secretariat, and eventually she became his first Secretary and head of the office. Many didn't like this career advancement of muggle-born. And when Hermione made suggestions for structural and staff reorganization of the Ministry, she got a lot of enemies. Kingsley rejected the project because he knew very well what could follow. The opposition already have got an axe to grind Shacklebolt, so he did not want to conflict with the stagnant swamp of the Ministry. But sometimes Hermione lacks the caution, despite her sense of purpose. So talk of reorganization lasted about a year. And ended in a radical way. Kingsley was poisoned during lunch with Hermione. It was executed as if she had poisoned him. A vial of poison was found in her things, there were also 'witnesses' who confirmed that Granger has repeatedly said that Kingsley hinders her changes, and they allegedly needed another minister. And our Hermione went to Azkaban in an instant.

"At that time I was sent to the United States for an internship in the local Auror Office. I was promised that after internship I will head the operational department. So I was stuck overseas and didn't know anything about what was going on. And I would find out very late if not for one of the Granger's soldiers. She has one fanatic, his name is Goran Jovanovic, a Serb by nationality. You should have seen him at the wedding. He's tall. He also has a very funny accent."

Neville nodded, confirming that he remembered this man.

"Well, he found me and asked for help. I immediately rushed to London, of course Things were bad. Hermione was kept in Azkaban, and just in a day a hearing was scheduled in Wizengamot with all known indictment. Goran insisted that we had no chance of official acquittal, that's why we had to prepare an escape. My help was needed to visit her and find out where she was being kept. After that members of her organization assumed to Apparate by my memories and make her free. The plan was not hopeless, since no one had yet invented the new apparition shield, and there would be a huge hole in Azkaban's defenses. Luckily it didn't come to that.

"I didn't believe Goran then, and I went to my boss, Thomas Gage, to find the truth. He was not at all happy to see me. He ignored my demand to get acquainted with the case file. He said that there are no ambiguities in the case, that there are expert opinions and testimony, so that the materials do not require revision. And then I thought: what the fuck Merlin am I wasting my time for? Do I need those files to know that Hermione is innocent? I don't need proof of her innocence. She's not the killer, people who set her up done that. So this man in the chair is a criminal, or he knows exactly who the criminal is.

"Then I made a decision I don't regret. Like a last muggle I knocked Gage out and apparated with an unconscious body to the territory of an abandoned factory in Sheffield. Then I called Goran in, and we began the interrogation. Unfortunately Veritaserum did not help. We discovered that gage is systematically taking the antidote. None of us were strong legilimens. And the main Aurora didn't react on threats at all."

Harry finished another glass of brandy and listened to the effect of the drink. Relaxing waves rippled through his body, and warmth coursed through his veins. He wondered if he should tell Neville exactly how they pressed the captive. How Goran snapped and almost started to strangle the bound and defenseless man. Is it worth it to tell about the changes on his face when they throw the bound daughter in front of him. How he had begged to not touch her when Goran had wound her blond hair around his fist and held the knife to her thin throat. No. Perhaps it's not worth.

"Well, we cheated. I jumped to Hogwarts and found his daughter. I knew a lot about her, because the chef loved to boast off his favorite. It wasn't too hard to cut a strand of her hair being under the invisibility cloak. And then one lady from Hermione's organization used a Polyjuice Potion to play the role of kidnapped. Thomas broke down and began to cooperate. His story we recorded on video, that record is on this disc. And, of course, it also presence in in the memories."

Harry handed Neville the DVD case.

"We got him to set up a meeting with the other plotter. In the crime were implicated the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, head of the Department of Magical Transportation, second Secretary of Shaklebolt, but, unfortunately, the perpetrator of the murder Jozef Samecki didn't come to meet. This conversation we also recorded, and it is on the disk too. And they were all locked up behind this."

One more glass of brandy became empty. Harry handed it to bush and it is not very firm strokes splashed into the pot-bellied glass jar portion of amber liquid. Harry saluted Neville, who was waiting silently for him to continue, and took a sip.

"We theatre gave them a 'Muggle poison long-term action'. The same young lady who played the role of Gage's daughter dressed up as a Muggle medic and injected everyone with adrenaline. It's not fatal, but the effects of an overdose are mind-blowing, so they all believed us. We made the conspirators a condition for receiving an antidote. they're do everything they can to officially exculpate Hermione in trial. We did not want to bully them excessively, so we have guaranteed them that we will not make public their role in Kingsley's murder. But we didn't promise them nothing about the future of the true murderer, and three days later he died in an accident, falling under the train," Harry paused and grimaced, he added, "Goran has accomplished his justice."

Neville took away a bottle from a bush and poured already into two glasses, by saying plant:

"Enough for this day..."

Harry swallowed and continued.

"The next day, the Wizengamot case fell apart. Examination was wrong with the place and time of the actual Kingsley poisoning, and Hermione had an solid alibi. It wasn't a poison in the vial. Witnesses refused to testify. Hermione was acquitted. Yay, everyone's happy!"

Harry put his glass on the table with a loud bang.

"Since then, we live together and haven't any relations with the Ministry. I'm head over heels in her affairs, and now I might be died. And then she will need a respected man, a man of impeccable reputation, who in case of danger for her will be able to use this lever. In general, this man is you."

Neville raised an eyebrow.

"And what about Ron?"

A shadow crossed Potter's face. The corners of his mouth were crinkled, his lips twisted.

"Ron isn't the same person... It was me, who was in America and knew nothing. But he stayed in London and knew everything from the beginning. Okay, he didn't fight the system, but he didn't even send me a message. He was bought by promotion. How can I trust him? I can't trust anyone of Weasley!" Potter slammed his fist down on the table. There were a hints of drunkenness in his voice. "They all knew what caused Lily-Lune's illness and what caused her death. They all knew and were silent."

Harry poured the last drops of brandy from the bottle into his glass and drank it like cheap whiskey. Neville felt that he had touched on a subject far more painful than the Cold War with the Department of Magic. But it was impossible to go back. His friend was sinking into old pain.

"Only after her death I realized that my daughter had been conceived under the influence of a Love Potion. Such a problem is not uncommon in this case. There was no chance to heal the child. Do you understand, Neville! She was born doomed because of her mother's endless stupidity. I did everything I could! Do you remember? You also helped me then with your knowledge of herbs. But everything was in vain. Four years! Only four years has lived this little girl. And only after death the truth came out.

"We broke up in silence. She was no longer Ginny Potter and could do anything what she wants. And her family can continue to be proud of their cohesion. But without me. And Ron... Let Ron go to hell..."

Neville got up and went into the study without a word. He came back with a bottle tightly bound with a red cord. With some difficulty, Longbottom pulled out the cork and poured Potter a full glass of ruby liquid. He poured himself a little. He putted the cork back, raised his glass, and said:

"The past is the past. You made conclusions, let's live further. Don't suffer. Merlin willing, you will soon have a baby from a beloved, loyal and truly loving you women. And you need to think about this. Drink up."

Potter obeyed. The drink he had drank was a balm. The explosion of sensation drove everything thoughts from his mind. Harry felt naked, floating in weightlessness. The whole world was a sphere around him, ready to obey his wishes. He held out his hand, and into it lay a heavy brown ball of moon [1], cratered with a spongy crust. Potter stroked him and let him go. He thought of Hermione, and her fingers touched his cheek, and he tasted her kiss on his lips. Old pains and failures melted away like sugar in hot tea. He wants to enjoy himself and bring joy to loved ones.

Gradually, the sense of reality returned. But a piece of tried and tested euphoria remained in the soul, and Potter wanted to keep it. To keep it alive. Neville, apparently, understanding the feelings of his friend, started to sing drinking song of Gryffindors, tapping the table with his broad hands. The inebriated shrubbery was tapping with him. Cheered Potter joined them soon, and for a long time the words merry Gryffindors songs sounded over the Hogwarts greenhouses.

Godric yelled to Salazar "We can beat the snakes!

Throw the goblets! Throw the cups! We can dry the lakes!

Open wide the windows, open doors at least,

Everyone forgiven! Let's have a great feast!"

[1] About the color of the moon surface: www . aulis


	7. One hundred heads

**One hundred heads...**

_are better than one_

Foam waves of the winter choppy North Sea beated against two huge concrete pillars of old, even from the time of the war with the Nazis, artillery platform Rafs Tower. Low clouds and light rain hid the English shores and generally the horizon, and it seemed that the concrete structure stood alone in the middle of the water sphere. The cold sea wind and rain stubbornly but unsuccessfully tried to freeze two wizards or interfere with their conversation. But the spell reliably protected them from the air element.

Harry Potter and John Dobson greeted the students of the third stage of the combat training courses who apparated to the helipad. They came in pairs. Each pair belonged to one cell of the organization and was dressed in its own color, and the chest and back of the fighters were decorated with the letters alpha or beta, depending on the role in the group. For reasons of secrecy, the real names in the classroom were forbidden. Potter and students have been used as names the combination of color and letter.

Meet the last couple, Harry went down below decks into the training room, hidden inside the Northern pylon, and John, went to the South one. It contained a laboratory, dormitory, and an office decorated with the flag, coat of arms, and portrait of Michael Bates, Prince Regent of the self-proclaimed and largely unrecognized Principality of Sealand [1]. It was the private office of Dobson, the artefact mage and Minister of magic of this principality. In fact, his entire Ministry included only this cabinet and himself. That was enough to formally cheat the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. After all, what is good in written laws? That they always contain a lot of loopholes.

The Statute, designed to protect the Magic world from the larger world of people, strictly regulated the boundaries of self-government of wizards, linking them with the borders of States. And so in densely populated Europe almost impossible was find a poor plot of land, formally not subject under control any magical governments. And where there is control, there is intervention. The Granger's mafia did not accept any interference in their affairs. But where on the territory of Europe to organize a training center in which it would be possible to work with impunity and uncontrollably all the spells up to the unforgivable? Basically, the forests of Swabia or the mountains of the Balkans could shelter the Granger people. It would be possible to constantly change the location and hide from the local magical authorities, but it was a path related with conflicts and crises. Hermione Granger found an elegant solution to the problem and placed the training base under the roof of a microscopic State, lost in the waters of the North Sea.

According to formal signs, the principality could act as a subject of magical law from the moment local Magic authorities were established on its territory. Such authority became the Ministry of one person. However, for this Jack had to officially accept the citizenship of Sealand. But he treated this with a great deal of humor and he even came to live on the platform, closer to the laboratory organized by him for the production of artifacts. And while in the North pillar of platform Potter taught his students to quickly and efficiently destroy, the creation was dominated in the South pillar.

After a memorable meeting at Grimmauld Dobson began working on a problem, that Hermione considered no less important than the others. It's a problem of strengthening all the protective properties of the suit. Granger set the task as follows. Space suit should be light and invulnerable to meteors, radiation, cryogenic temperatures and boiling lava. Dobson, of course, understood that this was too much hope, but tried his best in combination of all these conditions in one subject.

The problems of ensuring physical strength and heat resistance were familiar and the ways to solve this problems were clear enough. But with such phenomenon as radiation John faced for the first time. The 'Royal brothers' gave him a small educational lecture and helped develop a test methodology, and Goran got somewhere in Russia the portable gamma flaw detector.

Dobson originally wanted to create a stationary shield spell that could protect a group of people at once or an entire object, such as a ship or a lunar base. But he realized that there will be no quick result, and time goes too fast. He focused on spells that gave the necessary properties to materials. He covered aluminum plates with runes, he enchanted them and even smeared with potions. But the detector crackled persistently, catching flow of particles. He failed in his attempts to absorb, reflect or reject them. Light aluminum did not want to do the work of heavy lead. And then the wizard remembered the centuries-old attempts to turn simple metals into gold. In addition to Flamel's success, the secret of which he had never revealed to anyone, there were many failures documented in dusty volumes. Repeatedly happened, that metal things copied only part of gold properties. If only aluminum could copy the properties of lead related to X-ray protection! It was a hint of the right path. And this way was passed without sleep and rest. The result was a thick lead washer with runes and alchemical symbols attached to a duralumin control sheet.

He have held his breath and opened the shutter of the gamma-ray emitter. But the detector showed a weakening of the radiation at all points of the plate, as if it were all covered with the lead washer that was fixed in its corner. The same was repeated in the cases of plastic, glass, rubber. It was a success! It was a very timely success, because the suite should have arrived at Grimmauld any day now. This meant that in a few days the biggest runic ritual that Dobson had ever participated in would take place. He had to double-check all.

The spacesuit stood in the middle of the living room, fixed in a special frame, and victorian atmosphere of the mansion reflected in its convex mirror helmet. The technicians were moving the snow-white space armor from the transport to the operating position. Goran was talking to them in Russian, and Hermione was sitting in her favorite chair by the fireplace. She was reading a thick user manual and asked technicians from time to time about details with Goran's assistance. Such a picture Harry came across, returning after a day of instructor work.

Seeing her husband, Hermione put down her book and rose to meet him.

"My knight," she said after the kiss, "your armor awaits you."

Potter went to the suit. His semi-auror robe reflected in the helmet. Fantasy and science fiction stared at each other. He ran his palm over the outer shell and turned to the technicians.

"Can I wear it?"

"Not to wear, but to enter into it," with a strong accent answered one of the technicians. "You can, but you need to change your clothes."

He held out Potter the package, in which were a special overall.

While Potter was dressing in an elastic jumpsuit in the bedroom, Goran tell him how he used a Polyjuice Potion to provide the manufacturer with measurements of Potter's figure. They were used to make this suit. In addition, costume gloves were made according to casts of the hands of pseudo-Harry. These are the only personal items in a spacesuit. Well, of course, in real spacesuit, not in a gift for alleged hero of the day. Souvenir spacesuits weren't equipped in this way, but Goran had solved the problem.

After Potter dressed and returned to the hall, he attended an introductory lecture. He saw how the door of cuirass opens and how to get inside this miniature spacecraft. Technicians demonstrated how the non-autonomous ventilation system works, which is used on the ground, so as not to waste the resource of onboard equipment. And they even made him laugh when they showed him a special device for scratching the nose.

"For some reason, the first thing, that anyone who gets into a suit wants to do, is to scratch his nose. Therefore, a special device designed for this purpose has long been a common element of a suit," one of the technicians said with a smile.

Before loading the client into the suit, he also attached polyurethane pads to his shoulders.

"You don't need them in zero gravity, but on earth the weight of the suit can hurt your shoulders."

The weight was really serious. When Potter's suit was unhooked from the frame, a hundred kilos fell on his shoulders. Harry took a few cautious steps to get used to the sensations. The equipment backpack shifts the center of gravity, so astronauts have to lean forward like a monkey. It was a good thing that he had recently received a fine practice with a heavy backpack on his shoulders.

Helmet was good, nothing was blocking view. It was very unusual to turn head inside it. He immediately felt that it was not a suit, but a pressurized capsule designed to protect a man from the deadly conditions of space.

The technician turn on a switch on the suit's control panel, and the radio came to life. He heard Hermione's voice.

"Well, Harry how are you?"

He turned his body to her. Hermione smiled and held the radio in her hands.

"I'm fine, honey," said Harry, waving his hand. "I have a spacesuit. I'm ready to travel."

From this moment everything began to move at double speed.

Many aspects of the jump preparation depended on ability to cast spells with gloves. It turned out that it is impossible. The wand, taken by the glove of the suit, did not respond. Several layers of protection have done their job, reliably separating a person from the surrounding space. Of course the idea to order a special pair of gloves with a cover for the the wand was immediately appeared, but they had not time for that.

Due to the inability of astronaut to do magic the group that were engaged in video equipment to record the event, lost sleep. They had to invent a non-magical way to control a metal sealed box for the camera, with a heating and a set of levitation spells. The problem was solved with a magic joystick. It allowed to set the radius of the camera's flight. Also Harry could get the camera away when it is not needed. The joystick was comfortably fit in one of the suit's outer pockets, and it was easy to use it even with gloves on.

Dobson had to work, too. When he told Hermione about the success of his research, he casually complained that lead is not a best protector against radiation, that osmium or uranium-238 would be much more effective. The next day Jovanovic gave Dobson two small but very heavy grey cylinders. They were kernels from American armor-piercing shells from depleted uranium. Many such shells were fired by NATO forces during the aggression in Yugoslavia. And now, when the material was replaced, he had to prepare again and recheck all the runic chains and circles. But the ritual was scheduled for the next full moon, and until that date there were only five days left.

Real places of magical power in Europe were rare, but fakes like Stonehenge were enough [2]. Hermione chose for a long time between the island of Rugen and the forest Pokaine in Latvia and the mountain Monsegur in the South of France. Each option had its advantages, but the choice was made in favor of Languedoc. After all, this place of power, thousands of years before the advent of Christianity, was dedicated to the Iberian goddess Belisan, who patronized crafts, and moonlight was one of her attributes.

And the time for the ritual has come. A full Moon shone in the clear night sky of southern France illuminating a high mountain crowned by a medieval fortress. It was built on the site of the one that was destroyed by the troops of the Seneschal of Carcassonne in 1244, after the defeat of the Albigenses during the crusade against them. This was the first serious conflict between the Papacy and one of the semi-religious semi-magical movements in Christianity. The first serious appearance of the Holy Inquisition on the historical stage. And the beginning of self-isolation of wizards. It will be symbolic if this same place will be the beginning of the path to the reunion of worlds.

All those invited to the ritual arrived at the fortress at the top of the mountain by apparition or portkeys. Only Hermione was getting here by road. First a nearly two-hour flight from London to Toulouse, and then another two hours by car with a member of the organization. It was dusk when she arrived, and thеn an unexpected meeting awaited her. In the parking lot at the foot of the mountain, Harry was waiting for her, he was barefoot and dressed like an Arab ragamuffin in bloomers and a purple vest over his naked body. His head was covered with a skullcap. Goran looked even more exotic, he was also naked to the waist, in blue bloomers belted with a wide red sash and his face and body were painted in blue. A hastily transfigured monkey and parrot were also present.

"Oh, light of my eyes! The most beautiful of the beautiful and the wisest of the wise! Delightful Princess Hermione, let your lowest slave take you on this flying carpet to the top of the mountain," with a deep bow said Harry.

He and Goran parted, and behind them there really was a small carpet on the ground.

'Boys!' thought Hermione, but she could not keep a straight face. She gave her hand to 'Aladdin', stepped onto the carpet, and sat cross-legged next to him. Harry made the carpet took off the ground and flew slowly to the top of the mountain. The music was heard from his smartphone that laid in the pocket of his bloomers [3]. The moonlight was shining down the ground and his strong arm rested on her waist. The fatigue of the trip and the nervousness of the ritual had vanished. Hermione leaned over Harry's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

A wonderful view of the courtyard of the triangular fortress opened from the floating carpet. The courtyard was small enough. The longest side was only 50 meters, and the total area barely exceeded a thousand square meters. So the eight hundred people invited to the event looked like a thick crowd. The space suit and a camera box were laid in the center, on a low dais. But Harry directed carpet not there, but to the remnants of donjon. After landing, he helped Hermione get up and with a wave of his wand he returned to his clothes the original look of a white mantle with a hood. The monkey turned into shoes, and the parrot turned into a rope, which Harry belted, becoming surprisingly similar to the monk.

A Jesuit monk, Hermione thought. She, too, quickly changed into simple clothes and followed Harry into the courtyard.

The courtyard was full of people. They asked for help with the ritual of all the right-handed wizards of the European part of the organization. Wizards wore ordinary white robes with hoods and masks covering their faces. Of course, they were not silver, they were made of fabric, but Harry carefully avoided associations. It was inevitable. That was the price of security.

Accompanied by polite bows and greetings, the couple walked through the crowd to the dais, where the organizers of the event were waiting for them: Under polite bows and greetings, the married couple walked through the crowd to the platform, where the event organizers were waiting for them. Goran was already there. The low wooden platform on which the suit and the camera box with the camera were lying was decorated with intricate patterns and runes. Runes were also inscribed on the suit and the box. First words, for example, were applied on the sleeves and continued on the platform. The runes were intertwined with a pattern that looked like a huge cross. At the ends of this ritual cross, two women and two men stood facing each other. Harry in front of Hermione and John in front of Katharina.

A wizard approached each of them from the left and held out his right hand with a wand. The men at the base of the drawing took hold of them with their left hands. A wave of clasped hands swept across the yard. After a while, all eight hundred mages held hands, forming four interlocking spirals that rotated clockwise around the dais.

Everything was ready. At a sign from Katherine, the four of them began to chant in Latin, and the other mages joined them, reinforcing their words with streams of magic. The mighty, many-voiced choir repeated and repeated the words of the plea for protection and creation. The voices of men and women, high and low, merged into one indescribable sound, and it seemed that the sky itself was singing. Lights at the tips of the raised wands flickered to the beat of the words. Time to time they became brighter and then went out completely. The lines on the dais began to glow with them, growing stronger as they approached the center.

Potter very rarely have seen runic rituals, and never participated in them, especially in such a large scale. If Hermione had not asked him so persistently, and if she had not given him the Express Course of the Ancient Runes, he would not have found enough determination for this decision. And now the words flowed easily, the hands themselves did everything that was needed, and at heart rose a kind of wave of Force.

At last the rune-chains on the suit and box glowed brightly. Katarina gave a sign, and the words of the song changed. Now a chorus of voices sang about gratitude and a willingness to protect and build.

When the ritual ended, Potter came to his space armor and effortlessly lifted them off the floor. The moon became one step closer.

The next day Flaherty organized a photo op with Potter in the suit for the 'Lyumos', and under the contract handed to Hermione for approval the draft of an article on the preparations for the jump. The article had to public the date of the jump, the place and the form of the signal from the moon.

Around the last point, even after the tests in the Sahara, a heated debate sparked. All options had their advantages and their supporters. Although the Chinese version was the most powerful, but it had serious flaws - it was very large and posed a danger to the astronaut. The American version was very beautiful and undeniably unique — but also too big in size. The French monochrome salute was much more compact and allowed to Apparate not only with two flashes, as in the case of the American version, but also with three, or even four. In addition, the low brightness partially was compensated for the duration of the flash.

Hermione hesitated with the choice, until the French handed over a parcel through Schott, in which there were ten packs of money in denominations of one hundred euros donated for the needs of the lunar mission. This argument finally led to the choice of the Palais du Rire.

The timing of the jump was also difficult. Theoretically, at the time of the new moon, when the lunar disk is completely in shadow, the flash would be observed most clearly. But in accordance with the laws of celestial mechanics, a few days before and a few days after a new moon, the Moon rises above the horizon in the daytime for an observer of the Earth, and the flow of sunlight makes observing its surface very difficult.

It is possible to observe the Moon and to see something on its surface by the human eye only at night. And it was most advantageous to appoint a jump in the phase of the last quarter, when only half of the disk is in the shadow, but the Moon rises above the horizon after sunset. They should take into account that observers who were influenced by 'moon hysteria' and wanted to watch the immortal feat of Harry Potter, live on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and if the flash will be visible for all US residents, then in Europe no one will see it. And vice versa. A compromise was needed.

Finally, the date and time of the jump were calculated by a real astronomer. At that time, the lunar disk would be clearly visible in the night sky from Europe to line Helsinki-Athens. And from the United States only in the Eastern part of the country, approximately to the Houston - Kansas city line. Beyond these lines, the lunar disk will be observed low above the horizon in the rays of dawn or sunset.

The countdown has come for Harry. Only seven days are left before his jump. And disturbing thoughts began to visit him more often.

"Unfortunately, we are not immune to failure and shame. Lars Sr found any arguments for or against the 'vitalists'. What happens if the moon jump is basically impossible, and I like a fool will puffing up in front of a bored public and cameras? We definitely need to make sure in advance! It's not a problem. We're not Muggles, we do not need to launch a space rocket," insisted Harry in conversation with his wife one evening, five days before the scheduled date.

In principle, they both knew well that their undertaking has three possible scenarios. The first is a complete success. The second is an unsuccessful attempt to apparate. The third is an unsuccessful attempt to come back. The third scenario was bad for Potter personally. But for organization purposes, the second scenario could do more harm. And from Harry's point of view, they had to check everything in advance to minimize damage. It means, they had to check the possibility of apparition to the moon quietly in a tight circle.

"I also thought about it," suddenly said Granger. "The worst thing is to lose you, but this risk is present in both cases. It doesn't matter if there will be fanfare or not. I've already accepted that risk. And no matter how cynical it sounds, drama or triumph are equally good for advancing our goals."

Harry smiled.

"Yeah. I imagine obituaries in all the newspapers: 'Harry Potter died trying to bring progress to the Magic world', 'Inconsolable widow gives interviews with policy statements'. And bags of condolences letters are being studied to find potential members. With or without me, this flywheel will spin further."

Hermione did not support her husband's fun. Her face was serious and intent.

"You're essentially right, but there will no bags and no policy statements, if you die during the quietly jump to the Moon. I mean, there will be many condolences and obituaries, but the legend, most likely, will not form. The crowd needs symbols and signs. And the public act of trying to reach the moon, but not a failed attempt made in tight circle, should become one of the symbols."

"But the public fiasco is many times worse," Harry persisted. "That's what we need to avoid. If we know that the jump is impossible, we will be able to smoothly change the subject. We will apologize to the donors and return the funds. We will declare that additional experiments have revealed the impossibility of such apparition and that's all. Nobody will not have bad word to say about us. But we must try to do this. And if the attempt ends in tragedy, then it will not be a reason to miss the profit. Dobson and Schott will make magical replica of the suit, and Goran will drink Polyjuice Potion and smile for the press at the official jump. But he will jump to the base in Sealand, and not to the moon, and that's all. The search spells will show that I am absent, the blood rituals will confirm that I am dead, and everyone will assume that it happened at the moment of the public jump. So your mafia will get all the benefits from this situation. You just need to give a little performance."

"I can't believe my ears," Hermione looked at her husband, squinting, "are you suggesting me a hoax?"

"Well, you could call it that, but it wouldn't be a lie. If I die during the test jump, the same thing would happen during the official one. So in fact, we will not deceive anyone. Just a little show to get an advantageous public opinion. I don't see a problem."

Hermione stared at her hands, which were resting on her noticeably rounded tummy. Harry sat on the arm of her chair, put his arm around her, and whispered in her ear.

"Just imagine the frustration of the wizards from the countries beyond the line of sight who will come to the East and West coasts of the Atlantic. They will come to see the signal from the moon with their own eyes, and instead they will hear about the Harry Potter fiasco on the Wizarding Wireless Network. This is a black mark on me for life and through the efforts of your enemies on you."

Harry saw that his battle-mate had already surrendered.

"Let's call Goran, Katarina, and Dobson first thing in the morning and think it over in a tight circle. Only four people will know the truth, not counting me, of course."

Hermione stroked his hand and answered:

"Okay."

Goran was preparing Harry for the jump, and the others were trying not to interfere. Even Hermione tried to distance herself and took an observant position on the couch in the company of Katarina. In another corner of the living room, Dobson worked on a magical replica of the suit.

Preparations were coming to an end. The external life-support equipment was shut down, and the spacesuit was put into operational mode. Harry's communication with the outside world was already through the walkie-talkie, although he could hear what was going on in the living room through the external microphones.

The sparkling sphere of an enchanted box with a video camera was flying around him. Harry was checking how it works. He was making distance larger and then smaller. Satisfied with equipment work, he moved the the joystick ring, and put it into the pocket of his suit. The camera hovered over his right shoulder.

"During the apparition take the camera in hand," reminded Dobson, and looked doubtfully at the large barrel of Chinese fireworks from uncle Vayana. "Are you sure you want to take it with you?"

Harry nodded his head out of habit, but it was an odd gesture in his suit. He was determined to take 'The wrath of the thousand-tailed dragon' with him. During the tests, each company had to provide two samples of its products in order to prevent the case when one of them crashes, so the team was able to use these unclaimed samples to prepare for the jump. Harry decided to take this second sample, promising his friends to give an exclusive salute on the moon. Everyone thought it was a whim or a male natural desire to make a big bang, but in fact, Harry simply did not want to suffer from suffocation if he could not return to Earth. It's easier to instantly disappear in a blinding flash. Hermione also seemed to suspect something similar, but she did not comment on it.

"Your suit has atmospheric pressure now, but when you get to the moon, the suit will bloat. It might make your motions difficult. Get ready for this," Goran was giving the last instructions.

Potter have been worried sick about upcoming jump. His soul trembled with expectation of a huge event and a sense of fatal danger. But he did not allow his inner state to be reflected in his voice or behavior.

I'm ready! I suggest no longer delay the jump, or I'll run out of air before you decide to let me go.

All rose from their seats, and in turn approached the traveller with words of encouragement and good-luck. Katarina amused Potter particularly.

"Harry, everything will be fine," she smiled. "I asked a very good seer. He says your event tonight will be a success. Of course, he told about the dangers, but, most importantly, this victory will be on your side."

An involuntary wide smile appeared on Harry's face. Since Hogwarts, he related to fortune telling and divination with humor. After he witnessed a true prophecy, the rest did not cause awe. Hermione, apparently, also shared this opinion and smiled.

"Darling," she said, picking up the radio, "I just felt like a warrior's wife. You go off to risk your life and do great deeds, but I just stay at home... to wait. If I'm not expecting, I wouldn't let you go alone. But that's it. Good luck Harry! I love you."

Her eyes glistened with suppressed tears.

"What a pity, I can't kiss you now." He gently hugged his wife and touched her cheek with his space glove. "Don't worry. Basilisks, dragons, dementors, and Death Eaters with their Lord couldn't send me to an early grave. I'm bloody Harry Potter! Fortune is my middle name."

Everyone listened to the dialogue with tense curiosity. With the last words, Dobson tapped on the chess table.

Potter took one long look at all attendees and waved with his hand. Then he looked again at the black and white photograph of the Apollo-11 landing, picked up the camera box and the firework barrel, and grunted under his breath:

"Well, let's go!"

[1] Principality of Sealand en . m . wikipedia wiki / Principality_of_Sealand

[2] Fake Of Stonehenge steemit history / govind7 / is-the-stonehenge-fake-461df7b47a57b

[3] Music that sounds while flying on a magic carpet www . youtube watch ? v=hZ1Rb9hC4JY


	8. Danger foreseen

**Danger foreseen...**

_is danger avoided_

Harry was expecting a long flight, but apparition tunnel ended abruptly and he just get stuck. In the truest sense of the word. Hands, feet and body were stuck with thick, like ropes, threads of gray web. Slanted web strands obscured the view of the helmet, and Harry could see the beads of glue on them. Potter jerked his hand, but it barely moved. He jerked harder. Even harder, but it did not bring success. His movements only caused vibrations throughout the web.

"Obviously, we made a mistake with the photo. This is not the Moon," Potter thought and looked around.

Unfortunately, the view was almost completely obscured by the intertwining strands of the web. Only high above could be seen the roof frames specific to large hangars or workshops. Below the frames, a sparse chain of emergency fluorescent lights burned.

Potter concentrated and tried to Apparate home, but the adhered web held him securely, making the jump impossible because of the extra payload. He tried to Apparate several more times, using both methods, the new one and the classic, but only stirred the web again.

A bristly spider's paw suddenly slid across the glass of his helmet. The vibrations of the web, which he first considered as the result of his own efforts, at real were a signal that the web creator was approaching. When Harry saw the giant spider crawling on the web over his head, he remembered the events of sophomore year. During this suicidal walk in the Forbidden Forest, only Ford as a miracle saved them from becoming a dinner for the children of Aragog.

These acromantulas were sent to America from the Forbidden Forest, is he right? Harry suddenly had an idea.

The carcass of the giant acromantula, obscuring the view from the helmet, leaned forward and Potter with a disgust saw the hairy face of the spider that was very close to him. Two huge eyes were framed by a placer of smaller ones. The tentacles were moving, scanning the air with their sensitive hairs, and the great chelicerae were open, ready to tear apart the defenseless victim. No matter how brave, cool-headed and restrained Potter was, but he shuddered when he saw this ugly snout a few inches from his nose. He heard gritting and indistinct speech through an external microphone:

"That's him." [1]

The spider attacked. From strong blow Potter hurt himself against the glazed helmet and his glasses did not fall only due to the enchanted frame. The spider clearly wanted to bite his head off. His chelicerae repeatedly squeezed the neck segments of the suit, but without any harm. Black pharynx of spider's mouth, framed by moved hair, was pressing to the polycarbonate helmet. The beam of the led flashlight illuminated the slime-dripping tunnel of the spider's throat. Finally, the acromantula surrendered in its attempts to bite the suit. The spider's jaws glided over the smooth spherical surface, ripping away the web threads and leaving a wet trail of saliva or poison.

Now the creature decided to break the helmet. Spider began hitting on the mirror surface. From these blows, Potter's head shook inside helmet like a pea in a rattle. After a while, the acromantula became convinced of the futility of their attacks, turned back to the man and began to secrete an adhesive thread from the glands, additionally fixing the sacrifice with hind legs.

The spider's blows caused damage. His nose began to bleed, and Harry tried to stop the bleeding by pressing his nostril to the scraper, which once made him laugh. In addition, the spider's blows apparently hit the joystick in the outer pocket of the suit, and the box with the camera flew out to a maximum distance of thirty feet and began to fly nearby, recording what was happening. Potter realized that he had lost the camera, and he became more sad. Before the jump, the box was enchanted as a portal with a delayed start for twenty minutes: They wanted to test this method of returning from the moon. And in this situation, Harry hoped that the triggered portal would somehow drag him away. Now all he had to do was wait when the video equipment come home without him, and Hermione would see for herself where he ended up. Harry looked at the small display built into his helmet and was surprised to see that a little over five minutes had passed since he jumped. He'll have to be patient. Obviously, he cannot get out of here without a rescue team.

As the acromantula crawled away and cleared his vision, Potter saw that this creature was not alone. As far as he could see, the web was teeming with arthropods. They excitedly clicked their chelicerae and crawled from place to place. Some of them from time to time approached Potter and tried to bite his head or limbs. Fortunately, such attempts were averted by John Dobson's spells, which were filled with the power of the ritual. When spider's chelicerae was trying to crush the soft sleeve of the suit and Harry was feeling an nasty pressure, the shell immediately became stronger than steel and even slightly expanded, interrupting contact with the body. Therefore, all attempts to harm a person were unsuccessful.

But suddenly the movements of the spiders became fussy and their crowd in front of Potter began to decrease. At the same time, mercury lamps in the ceiling of the hangar began to glow and slowly grew brighter. The hangar was flooded with electric light in a minute, and the spiders disappeared from sight.

Nothing happened for a while, and then Potter heard the crackle and hiss specific to Flamio spell. Then he saw smoke and flashes of flame. Gaps appeared in the web. Someone was removing it. Finally, a pale lilac ray of cleansing spell swept over his helmet, and Potter saw a path that cut through an endless web. Robert Nielsen, the editor-in-chief of the Lumos newspaper was fifteen feet from Potter, playing with his wand.

"It really is you, Potter! I was wondering, who come to us? I thought some idiot wanted to take the discoverer's laurels from you. Why did you decide to jump to the moon ahead of time? You are without press and fanfares, aren't you? It's not good..."

The editor in chief chatted like at the Plateau restaurant, not caring that somebody was listening to him or not. At the same time he took the cordless phone from his pocket, dialed a number, and put it to his ear. When the interlocutor answered, he reported:

"It wasn't false alarm, we really caught Potter... Yes... Yes... I'll wait."

The wizard stashed the phone and began to clear the platform in front of the prisoner, using the spells 'inflammo' and 'evanesco'. And he did not stop chattering.

"I'm so sorry that it happened, and I didn't have a chance to reject that fool Flaherty's material. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be in such a sad situation. I give you my word, I have nothing against you. I like you very much. How old are you now?"

Even if Harry wanted to answer this question, Nielsen would not have heard it. But he did not wait for an answer and in a low voice began to count:

"So Voldemort disappeared when you were one year old, and that happened in the eighty-first year. That means you're twenty-seven now...

"My God, you're only twenty-seven!" he exclaimed. "I was the same age when I first came to this hangar. It was almost forty years ago... Uh! Youth, youth. I was so lucky then. I utterly had no prospects in Magic world, after all I'm a Muggle-born. And I was offered such a fun and, importantly, very promising work. We needed to hide the fake of the Muggle moon landing It was a once-in-a-life opportunity. And I didn't miss it.

"We did a great job then. How much work and imagination we spent to make everyone around believe in the moon show, which was filmed here in this hangar," Nielsen looked around. "Apollo 11 lunar module stood here, and at this place Neil Armstrong plant an American flag. Poor Armstrong! He does not even remember that he participated in the play. He retained only fragmentary memories that he was on the moon, and planted the flag. He was not the only one who was deprived of memory. Our team of wizards gradually erased or changed the memory of almost all the Muggles who participated in this show. But we have to do this for their own good. It's so hard to know the truth and keep quiet. I know firsthand."

Harry squinted at the display again, and then looked at the box with the camera, which was slowly flying past the field of view. There was a minute before the portkey should work. But Nielsen was enjoying the sound of his own voice.

"And what a rich experience I had gained working with a Muggle mass media. You cannot imagine all the possibilities of the press. At that time I firmly decided what I would do after the Lunar Epic, and I spent my fee to found the Lumos newspaper."

At this moment, the box with the video camera lit up in blue, twitched and froze. The glow faded, the box hung for a few seconds without movement, and then again began to circle around Potter. Robert Nielsen looked carefully at the artifact, and then at Potter.

"It was a Portkey that should work right now, wasn't it? It's very smart. It's very smart. I have nothing to say. But the trap was not arranged by idiots. You have no way out of here, neither the apparition nor the portkeys will work. And magic connectivity doesn't work here, neither Protean Charms, nor two-way mirrors. And yes, Muggle cell phones don't work either. It is possible to call only through the local telephone exchange."

He pulled out his phone and again reported to someone:

"The attempt to use postponed portal was made by prisoner. Unsuccessful, of course... Yes... No, the spiders are isolated... I'll wait..."

Harry looked at the camera and felt that instead of hope, the soul begins to fill with despair. He already understood, they won't let him out alive. The seriousness of the intentions was confirmed by the scale and quality of the trap.

It's been a really long time for people who was waiting at Grimmauld. The hands of the grandfather clocks just froze. John and Goran found salvation from painful wait in the chess game. Katarina and Hermione were sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee, talking quietly, and looking at the television screen, where a video camera was showing the surface of the moon at the place where Harry was supposed to land.

Hermione already regretted that they allotted so much time to this jump. They planned a long to-do list: inspect the Apollo lander, try to apparate from place to place on the surface of the moon and check the operation of portal spells on the video box. All this affairs could be done at other times.

The clock was ticking, and time comes to The time has come and gone. The box with the camera did not appear. This fact proved nothing, but Hermione couldn't wait patiently any more.

"Why didn't we provide radio connection with Harry?!" Hermione exclaimed, jumped up from the sofa and started to pace the living room. "What was impossible? Muggles receive signals from satellites even from deep space."

The men looked up from their chess set.

"Hermione. For these purposes, they use such large receiving antennas that can cover the Grimmauld square like a dome. Otherwise, you will not catch a signal. It's too weak." Goran answered because he was present during the conversation between Lars brothers.

"It's just unbearable!" Hermione continued to pace the room. "We have to devise a mentally communication, by analogy, how we keep in touch with house-elves for the long-distance…"

Suddenly she stopped in shock.

"KREACHER!" she cried.

The house-elf appeared immediately and bowed.

"What does my mistress want?"

Hermione stared at him, selecting the words for the question.

"Kreacher, do you feel your connection with Harry all the time?"

"Of course, my mistress. Kreacher is a good elf and he is always ready to come to the call of the Lord."

"All right, Kreacher. Do you feel your master right now? Can you tell me where he is?"

Hermione even held her breath waiting for an answer. All those present also froze.

"Of course I can. Master Harry is not on the moon at all. Master is in America."

"F#ck!" Goran said expressively. "The photo was really fake."

All participants already knew about theories of conspiracy about the 'moon bluff'. But they could not believe them. It was all the more surprising to receive such practical confirmation.

"Then why doesn't Harry come back?" Katarina asked a reasonable question. "He had to immediately understand that we gave him the wrong coordinates and return to Grimmauld."

"Why didn't the box portal come back?" Dobson added.

"He didn't come back because he can't do it," Hermione said obvious idea. "They're trapped. Blocking spells for Apparition and Portkeys are widely known. And Harry for some reason can't use elven Apparition. We need to scout the situation."

Hermione turned to the house-elf.

"Kreacher, can you jump to Harry without being called?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Then…"

"Wait!" Goran interrupted her. "We need to protect house-elf. We do not know what they use as trap."

The objection was reasonable, and Hermione glanced around the room, wondering what could be used as protection for the house-elf. Her gaze rested on the wall sconce. The sorceress made a sharp gesture and the round glass lampshade twisted itself out of the lamp and flew into her hand. Hermione set it on the floor, pointed at it with her wand and said:

"Engorgio!"

The lampshade has grown to a size sufficient for a house-elf. It took a few more minutes to cast the spells of indestructibility and immutability. It was not a runic complex, like the one that was on Harry's suit, but it was enough to protect house-elf for a couple of hours.

"We need something to seal the lid," Goran said, "there might be some kind of gas or something else in the air."

Without thinking twice, they adapted the pan cover. And so, in the middle of the room was a glass sphere, similar to an aquarium, inside of which stood a house-elf. He rested his feet and one hand on the smooth walls, and the other was holding the lid. A small household camcorder was fixed to his head with Scotch tape.

"Kreacher, go to Harry and see where he is and how he is. Don't be long. Come back as soon as you will see the place." Hermione instructed the house-elf. "No matter what you will see or what happened to Harry, you have to go back and tell us. You got that?"

"Yes, mistress. Kreacher understood. I'll jump to master Harry and see how he is and where he is so his friends can help him get home. Kreacher will do it. But maybe the mistress can give Kreacher something to wipe the glass from the inside, it fogs up so quickly. Maybe some worthless rag..."

Kreacher looked very pointedly at the knitted jumper, which was half finished. Hermione smiled and handed him the knitting.

"Good luck. Go!"

Incredibly satisfied Kreacher took an item of clothing from Hermione's hands, that was now safe for him, closed the lid, and apparated together with the sphere.

Nielsen was confident in the reliability of the trap, so he continued to serenely pour out on the silent and doomed listener the story of the Moon-Landing Hoax. He told about acquaintance and cooperation with President Nixon, Director of the FBI Hoover and chief architect Wernher von Braun. The names of the leaders of the era were flashing in his speech: Brezhnev, Honecker, Castro, Mao Zedong... Harry was half-listening, he was reflecting that the The Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, like all other laws, was written exclusively for the crowd. The elite (it doesn't matter Magical or Muggle) doesn't count that it must follow the laws that it has written.

Finally a group of people appeared on the footpath. Judging by robes, two of them were wizards, one was in military uniform and another one men was in civilian black clothes. When the group came to the platform in front of the suit, Potter was surprised to recognize among them the noble Matus Ira.

"Can he hear us?" Ira asked Nielsen after a handshake.

"Most likely he can't," Nielsen said. "We need a radio."

Harry noted that Flaherty knew nothing about external microphones, and that the journalist was probably the source of information for Nielsen and the others.

"Colonel, if you please," Ira said to the officer who accompanied him.

The man unclipped the walkie talkie from his belt and switched it to the suit channel. Matus Ira approached to Potter as close as he could, almost stepping on the web threads, and stared into the mirrored surface of helmet. He had the face of a sick to death man. He raised the radio to his lips.

"Potter, I told you: take care of what you've got. You should've taken my advice. Excuse me. It's not personal."

He pointed his wand directly at Potter's face and said:

"Avada Kedavra".

[1] Harry heard the spiders talking in the 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'.


	9. If you're drowning

**If you're drowning...**

_rescuers team will save you_

A green beam fired from Matus Ira's wand, and at the same time, a clap of the elven apparition was heard. The glass sphere with Kreacher inside was caught in a web between the creator of the trap and Potter. The first thing, that surprised house-elf saw, was the green light of Awada which splashed over the surface of the suit. The rune chains, that covered sleeves, pants, torso, and helmet of the suit, sparkled with a dazzling light, and burned web threads that touched them. The house-elf turned and looked at the attackers.

He grabbed his weapon and very accurately, like at a shooting range, put the first three bullets in the sphere.

"What a thing is this creature?" he asked, lowering his gun in frustration after a second series of shots that didn't make visible damage to the glass sphere.

"It's a house-elf," Nielsen told him, casting a spell on the sphere. "I've broken the spell, kill him."

The next three shots shattered the glass, but there was no one inside the sphere. Only splinters were hanging on a web.

"Damn!" the editor-in-chief swore. "Did you see, he had a bloody Muggle video camera on his head. Friends of this astronaut will appear soon," he waved his hand toward Potter.

"How much?" the officer asked in businesslike way, switching channels on his walkie-talkies.

"Merlin knows," said Nielsen. "There is an organization behind him with his wife in charge. I think that it was she who came up with this premature jump to the moon. And now, knowing that the missing Potter is not on the moon and having a visual reference to this place, more than a dozen of them can come here."

"I see," the officer nodded and began to give orders to some 'Alpha', 'Charlie', and 'Bravo'.

Matus Ira did not say a word, and did not take his eyes off Potter. The runic chains on his suit were slowly fading. It was unclear whether Avada had achieved the goal or not. The man in the web did not move, and his face was dimly visible through the mirrored surface of the helmet. Ira raised his wand again. His face acquired a fierce expression.

"Crucio!" he shouted.

The rune chains on the suit sparkled again, but the man inside didn't move an inch.

"Homenum Revelio," the runes on the suit flashed again but there was no definite answer.

"In his place, I would pretend to be dead and wait until someone cut web threads, and then run away from here," the voice of the wizard accompanying Ira came. "Let's also close this hangar for an elven Apparition. Especially since we may have guests."

Ira nodded and, moving away from the web to the center of the platform, called a house-elf. A long-eared creature in a sort of tunic instantly appeared before his master and bowed. A knife flashed in the hand of the Matus Ira, the honorable Advisor to the President of the United States and the Chairman of the scientific Council.

Kreacher appeared in the center of the living room, screaming aloud. His eyes were wide open in horror.

"They're killing master Harry! They're killing the master!"

Hermione, not wasting time on questions, tore off the camera and then connected it to the TV. After a few seconds, the living room appeared on the screen, they saw people's faces, the last words of Hermione, a scene with half-knitted jumper. They heard a hissing noise and then they saw a green beam of well-a well-known death curse which hitted the Potter's suit. The runes shone brightly. The camera turned sharply to the source of the beam, and everyone in the room gasped. The honorable Matus Ira and editor-in-chief Robert Nielsen appeared in the scene. Then shots rang out and the glass sphere swayed in the web. The image began to twitch and became blurry. In the pause between the series of shots, the camera showed the ceiling, web and the platform on the floor, which was clean from the web threads. After that, hissing was heard again, and the screen shots of his returning home.

"What a whore! If I ever run into you!" Goran hissed.

Some cold mask froze on Hermione's face. If those present could see Granger during the battle of Hogwarts, they would know this facial expression, it was an omen of a murder.

Obeying the gesture of her hand, the second lampshade unscrewed. Under the increase spell this time it grew to such a size that he almost reached the ceiling.

"Hermione, let me with Dobson do it," Jovanovic gently suggested.

But he received a sharp look in response, from which the desire to argue completely disappeared.

"No. I'll jump after him. We'll jump together. You will hold the shields, and I'll burn the cobwebs around Harry. When he is free, we will immediately return home. And with these gentlemen," she emphasized the last word with her voice, "we'll deal later."

"Let's call for backup at least," Goran insisted.

"They will be late," said Hermione after instructed Katarina and John to cast protective spells on the glass. "Though..."

She rolled up her sleeve and pointed her wand at the chain of faint scars left by Belatrix Lestrange. Long-healing scars reddened painfully from this action, and the word 'Mudblood' clearly appeared on the white skin. Protean Charms immediately called the first dozen of organization's militants. Someone's body cross has warmed up, someone's wedding ring squeezed a finger, or someone's earring delicately pricked the earlobe. Ten people awakened in the middle of the night had a clear idea to come to Grimmauld 12 and be ready for battle.

Katarina and John finished enchanting the sphere. Hermione and Goran were about to climb inside sphere when Kreacher suddenly knelt before his mistress and screamed that he could not let her go to a dangerous place. That she's carrying the last heir of the Black and Potter line, and that even for the sake of saving the Master, it is impossible to risk his child.

"Kreacher, please move away or I'll be forced to stun you," Hermione answered strictly. "And stop whining. The Blacks and Potters line won't be extinct, even if I with Harry die. What a Dark Lady I would have been if I hadn't taken care of our Horcruxes. How are they, by the way?" she turned to Dobson.

"They are fine," John grinned. "All eleven."

Kreacher looked incredulously at his mistress and the wizard. Taking advantage of his perplexity, Hermione pushed him away from the entrance to the sphere and climbed inside. Goran climbed after her with difficulty, and for awhile they moved looking for the best position. Finally Hermione and Goran leaned on to each other with their backs.

"Goran, aim for the platform in front of Harry. In that case you'll face abductors and I'll face the Harry. Hold your shields until I say 'Go'. Then Apparate home separately and don't brake. You got that?"

"I do my mistress!" the Serb replied with a predatory grin. "Are you ready? Let's jump?"

"Yes!"

Serb closed his eyes to concentrate, but nothing happened. He tried again, and again there was no result.

"What happened, Goran? What are you waiting for?" Hermione asked without turning.

"It can't do that," Jovanovich said in confusion. "I can't jump."

"What?" she asked. "Let me try."

And again there was no result.

"Maybe it is overweight?" Katarina suggested.

The Serb shook his head no.

"No. I have Apparated more than once with a load that was greater than this."

"Stop. Get out of here." Hermione shouted.

They climbed out of the sphere, and Granger unscrewed another lampshade and magnified it again.

"Kreacher, get in and try to jump to Harry. If you manage to Apparate, then return immediately, because we do not have time to enchant the sphere."

Kreacher hurriedly climbed inside the sphere and froze. One second passed, another, third, and nothing happened. The face of the house-elf showed surprise, hurt, and grief.

"I can't! I can't jump to the master!" he groaned. "Kreacher's a bad elf!"

There was a silence in the room, interrupted only by the sounds of the house-elf who was punishing himself. Hermione even not tried to stop him, she was numb with powerlessness and despair. She slowly approached to the sofa and sat down, covering her face with her hands.

The last drops of the house-elf's blood fell to the concrete with the last words of the ritual. Matus Ira lowered his wand and looked at the small body in a bloody tunic at his feet.

"I wanted to avoid this," he murmured, as if speaking to himself.

An officer approached down the path. He didn't want to break the blood ritual with his radio chatter so he was stepping away from the platform. Looking around the stage, he confidently reported:

"Three groups will arrive soon. I think they have enough firepower to adequately respond to the invasion."

"Most likely, this will be needless," responded editor. "We've just blocked the all apparition ways, so the rescue team will not come."

"I haven't cast this spell before, so I won't say for sure that it worked. Let's keep our eyes open." Matus Ira interrupted their conversation. "Colonel, do your men have a heavy military equipment?"

"Yeah, we have armoured personnel carriers and hummers."

"Very good. When they arrive, we will tie Potter to them and remove all the damn web threads, and then we'll open his suit and see if he's alive or not. In the meantime, be ready. Too many surprises..."

The Honorary Advisor went back to the edge of the web and began to peer into the mirror surface of the helmet.

"Hermione," Goran touched her shoulder, "one person, wizard from Russia, who helped me very much with the suit, gave me a vcard with the words 'if you get into a hopeless situation, call me'. Should we call?"

Hermione still sat on the sofa, covering her face with her hands. She whispered at Goran's words:

"Do what you want."

He went to the window and got his smartphone. He glanced at his watch and sighed. It was three in the morning, and perhaps it was an early morning in Russia, but the hope of help made me forget about decency. Jovanovic pulled out visit card and dialed the number.

"Goodnight," he said in Russian. "I'm sorry for such a late call, but we are in a hopeless situation. Harry jumped to the moon today in test mode, but fell into some kind of trap. And we cannot Apparate there and rescue him. What can we do?"

Everyone was listening to the conversation, although no one understood a word. Even Hermione lifted her hands from her face and looked at Goran. He was listening intently, and then suddenly looked at the card. After thanking his conversationalist for some reason in English, he put the phone back in the pocket. The he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the piece of paper in his hand.

"Finite Incantatem," he said, and the card immediately turned into a black-and-white photograph of people standing in front of a hangar.

"Hermione," Goran smiled, "I think we were suggested a way out."

At the same time there were claps of Apparition. The militants of the organization, who were lifted from their beds, began to coming. Hermione cleaned traces of tears with a wave of her wand, and reached out for a photograph. Goran propagated the photo using 'Geminio' spell, and distributed it to everyone present. Hermione looked at the photo and said:

"Kreacher!"

Excited elf ran to her.

"Yes, mistress."

"Kricher, jump over this photo, look around and come back immediately."

"Yes, mistress," he took the photograph from the Hermione's hands, looked at it, and disappeared with a clap. Satisfied with the successfully completed task, the elf reappeared after a few seconds.

"I have seen this house, mistress. There is nobody in front of it. Nobody."

"Great! We can go."

Goran cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself.

"Hermione, this wizard said that he wants also to come to this hangar, but he needs my help with Apparition. Don't you mind?"

"Of course not, Goran!" Hermione exclaimed. "Go. We will jump there too now, and Katarina will send the men who will arrive later at Grimmauld."

"Okay. Just wait for me, please. Stay out of the fight." Goran said, and immediately Apparated.

Hermione started the movie to arrived wizards that was recorded by Kreacher and turned to Dobson and Schott:

"I forbid you guys to follow us. If anything happens to us and we don't come back, Katarina you will be responsible for the entire organization. I gave you access to my catalog. And you, John, will be responsible for my Horcruxes. And these are your main tasks. Okay?"

Friends assured that they understand her perfectly, and Hermione turned to her small army, which increased by a couple of fighters.

"Our task is to rescue Harry or return his body, if he has already died" she added quietly. "And we immediately retreat as soon as this task is completed. Are you ready?"

The six nodded.

"Let's go!"

The setting Sun hung low on the horizon and painted the sky pink. The painted red hangar, looked bloody in the light of the setting sun. There were no trees to see to the horizon, only grass and bushes and the long airstrips of the old airbase. There were other hangars in the distance, but the apparated wizards were only interested in this one. Two separated from the group and ran to inspect the giant gate through which an airliner could pass. The others marched toward the hangar, keeping the combat formation with Hermione and Kreacher in the center. By the way the house-elf followed them without permission. Hermione didn't want to wait for Goran and his mysterious interlocutor. Harry's life hung by a thread.

Without stopping, Hermione unclipped the walkie talkie from his belt and and began calling Harry, afraid of the silence. But fear immediately dispelled when through a faint hissing noise she distinctly heard voice of a kinsperson.

"Hermione! I'm so glad to hear you!"

"How are you?" of course, the question was silly, but Hermione didn't know how to formulate her concerns about a man who survived another 'Awada'.

"I'm alright. Thanks for the spell on the suit. I'm like in a tank. Truth, in stuck tank."

"We are going to rescue you. Just hang on a little longer."

"Alas, I have no choice. I'm dangling in the web like a fly. Speaking of spiders, did you know that trap was set by Matus Ira and our jolly editor Nielsen?"

"Yes. Kreacher got them all on tape, and we saw the whole group. Do you know who those people are?"

"Well, besides our mutual acquaintances, there is another wizard. The officer is a Muggle, and the man in black didn't show himself, so I don't know."

"I bet my magic wand this guy is alive," bearded wizard that stood behind the shoulder of Matus Ira peered into the mirror surface of the helmet.

"This won't take long," the Adviser said dryly.

"Matus, would you change your mind about the murder?" the bearded man asked softly, nodding at Potter, who was caught in the web. "We did not do it cleanly. His wife knows about the forgery now, and Merlin knows how many people around her. And the damn house-elf with the video camera probably provided her with documentary evidence of our involvement. Maybe it's time to think about negotiations while we have a strong case. We could, for example, ask for an unbreakable vow on their part in exchange for Potter's life.

"Potter attracted public attention with his promise to jump to the moon It is nothing depends from his agreement or disagreement to keep our secret. The crowd asked a question and is waiting for a definite answer. We must convince everyone once and for all that the Moon is unachievable, otherwise we will regularly receive such adventurers in this hangar.

"If you put him to rest now, the crowd won't receive any answers. His death will look much mysteriously because he jumped ahead of schedule and quietly," said the bearded man. "So you're not solving the problem, you're just putting it out of control. Think twice. Maybe we should contact this Granger and make a deal?"

While the older gentlemen were arguing, the officer turned his attention to the broadband scanner panel of his walkie-talkie, and noted the activity on the suit's radio frequency. He switched to this channel and heard a man's voice:

"… be careful. According to them, their forces have already moved here."

A young female voice answered him:

"Thank you for the warning. We'll figure something out. Tell me what you see."

"Unfortunately, I do not see any landmarks to determine my location. The ceiling, cobwebs, and the platform in front of me which was cleaned from web threads by Nielsen. There is nothing notable here."

"Okey. We'll find you. Let us know when anything changes."

"Ok."

He grinned:

"Eggheads, God damn it," the Colonel switched back to the service channel.

"Matthews, jam all civilian range."

After a few seconds, when he was sure that a meaningless cacophony of hissing and whistling was raging on the suit's frequency, he turned to his companions:

"Well, gentlemen. Couple more surprises. Your patient is more alive than dead and is actively talking on the walkie-talkie with rescue team of unknown size and location. To be precise, he was talking. I've taken steps, and radio communication on the suit frequencies is jammed. In addition, judging by the intercepts, he hears our conversations, probably through the built-in external microphone. Besides, I've just been informed of a perimeter breach. Our guests entered the hangar through the North gate."

"Oh!" Nielsen exclaimed. "The lair of acromantulas is just at this gate, where I rounded up them," he smiled and turned in his hands a black amulet. "I hope our cute spiders eat this rescue team."

"I wouldn't rely on that," Ira said. "Will your men be here soon?" he asked the Colonel quietly.

"Yes, they're coming. The South gate and the service entrance are closer to them. So they'll be here in about five minutes."

"Then there's no need to make a fuss. Hurry your men up, Colonel, while we prepare to meet our guests."

The officer went back to talking on his radio, and the bearded wizard whispered to Ira:

"I'm afraid Granger will be here much earlier than the soldiers of colonel. Maybe it makes sense to retreat from the hangar? With the prisoner, of course," the wizard added, anticipating the objections of Ira, who glared at him angrily. "We need him alive even more now. We might have to negotiate."

"What kind of negotiations can be?" Matus Ira smiled wryly. "In the best case, we will interrogate them and Obliviate after the destruction of material evidence."

"And in the worst case you would have them all killed, including his pregnant wife?"

"Look!" Ira snapped. "Don't make me a villain. I'm just doing my duty and yours, by the way. You better be glad you don't have to make any decisions."

The bearded wizard frowned, but didn't answer. Instead, he called to an officer hurrying down the path.

"Colonel, where are you going?"

He stopped and answered:

"Gentlemen, I need to return to the base. We need to get ready for another damn Ministerial Commission."

His four companions looked at each other.

"Wait a minute, Colonel. And what about our case?"

"I'm sure you can do it yourself," the officer said impatiently and continued to move.

Matus Ira in one move of his wand drew a faintly glowing symbol in the air. With a second movement he threw the symbol at the retreating man's back. The Colonel slowed down, then stopped and turned to his companions with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What happened to me just now?" he asked.

"You've had the pleasure to experience for yourself the effect of Muggle-Repelling Charms" Nielsen eagerly explained. "Our prisoner's rescue team, as you called them, began to act. You should check what your soldiers are doing."

The Colonel did not ask any more questions, but he start talking on his radio. First quietly, then he raised his voice, and towards the end of the conversation he started to use profanity.

"They're sure I ordered them go back to base. They react strangely to my orders, as if they hear not what I say them," officer threw up his hands. "What should I do?"

Matus Ira turned to the most silent member of the group, he was a middle-aged man dressed in a strict coal-black suit.

"We need your Agency's help, Mr. Jay. Are your people ready for action?"

The huge wings of the gate began to open under the effect of spell that was just cast on them. Wizards and witches had seen a large hangar in a web from floor to ceiling. Gate wings cut web threads and they fell to the floor.

Granger team members waved their wands simultaneously and burned a wide trackway through the web, left the threads that kept it from falling to the concrete. The fire devoured the target in normal order, but the web didn't sag much. Some threads were attached above the gate, to the ceiling, and so the spider's web retained its shape as a whole.

Burning cobwebs, the team of wizards moved deeper into the hangar along the canyon. The setting sun did not penetrate inside hangar and only the ceiling lights illuminated the way. the threads of the web were torn and fell due to the movement of the gate. Aerial reconnaissance could be very useful in this case, because the web wall was taller than a person and obstructed vision, so it was impossible to consciously choose the right path.

"Beta-red," Hermione said to one of the female companions, "I'll lift you up using the 'Levicorpus'. Determine the right direction."

The fighter nodded in agreement and after a moment she soared to the ceiling under the influence of the spell, where the ceiling beams crossed above the lamps. A few seconds later there were wails and a bloodcurdling scream:

"Down!"

Hermione immediately used 'Liberacorpus' and picked up the falling body with 'Arresto Momentum'. But at the same time, other bodies fell from the ceiling. Dozens of not big acromantulas struck the group of wizards. The cobwebs to the right and left of the burned path stirred, and the largest spiders rushed from flanks and front.

Flashes of spells began sparkling. Explosive, cutting and fire spells were simply not enough to destroy the army of spiders in time. Kreacher built a dome from the carcasses of spiders and held it above the head of his mistress, preventing attacks from above. This umbrella was reinforced by one of the wizards, and all the others huddled under it.

Enraged Hermione shouted, "Igneas Flagrum," and a fiery whip sprouted from the tip of her wand, rushed on her attackers. She was afraid to use a full Fiendfyre because of the risk to burn the spiders with everyone present at the same time, but the fiery whip proved to be quite effective. Pieces of spider bodies and particles of web, torn by a whip, flew away in all directions. The attack was bogged down, and acromantula hastened to retreat, taking the bodies of relatives with ulterior motives. 'They eat them or something.' Hermione thought casually continuing to hold the spell of the whip.

It soon became clear that acromantulas were not without intelligence. The second wave of attackers rushed into the battle with a dense flank, covering the first row with a carcasses of relatives as shields. The squad of wizards fired spells again, but most of it fell into dead bodies. Spiders as fast as possible wanted to get closer to people to the distance of the physical contact. And just as an avalanche of acromantulas was about to sweep away a handful of people, and start tearing them apart with their chelicerae, an emotionless magically amplified voice sounded. "Мorte Aranearum Totalum!"

All the spiders shuddered, shrunk and fell dead to the floor. Two wizards was approaching along a footpath burned through the cobwebs. Goran Jovanovic and his companion. He was a short man of unknown age with a cane, dressed in a black karakul coat with a white scarf and an dapper hat of the same color on his head.

Spider corpses litter the path, and Goran's companion waved his cane in disgust and sent them into the web with a nonverbal spell.

"I don't like insects" the wizard explained, turning to his companion. "I had to invent this spell to get rid of mosquitoes and ants in my country house.

When they approached Hermione, he took off his hat, bowed politely and said in English with a thick accent:

"Senorita Granger, nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Cristobal Junta."


	10. Harm set

**Harm set...**

_hold a shield_

Hermione instinctively offered her hand for a kiss, remembering all that she knows about this extraordinary wizard. The rumors of him were incredible. That he was seven hundred years old. He was the first who discovered the philosopher's stone, not Flamel. That in his youth he was a member of the Dominican Order and rose to the rank of Grand Inquisitor, and that he saved hundreds of wizards. That he left the Order because he was convicted of witchcraft, then he traveled a lot and in the early 20th century, after the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, he offered his help to the young State and tried to embody an utopia in the USSR. But there was very little information about Junta, because he did not seek publicity. In general, a very extraordinary person came to their aid.

But as much as Hermione would like to talk with wizard from Russia, they hadn't time. She responded to his greeting, and then turned to the fighter in red who had fallen from the ceiling and began to examine her. The girl was unconscious, her pale face and hair were stained with blood from the acromantula bite on her left forearm. Loss of consciousness and small febrile tremors were the result of poisoning. The second fighter in red had already stopped the bleeding and was healing the wound with the short movements of his wand.

"Give her a bezoar," said Hermione. "Alpha-red, apparate to Zwijndrecht."

Theo Mertens lived and practiced in this Belgian village, he was a member of the organization and a very good healer. He received a signal from Hermione along with the top ten people, and probably was ready to assist if necessary.

The soldier carefully raised his partner, closed his eyes to concentrate, but nothing happened. Blocking spells prevented his attempt. Then he went with an injured partner in his arms to the exit. Couple in black went to cover them.

Hermione looked around the thick curtain of cobwebs and, closed her eyes, remembered the sensation of her recent flight on the magic carpet with Harry. She remembered his hand on her waist, music and a kiss.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The bluish otter came full circle in search of danger and, finding nothing, hung in front of her, waiting for her command.

"Katarina, we need brooms. Urgently. Tell everyone else: they should not come without brooms."

The Patronus vanished to reappear in the living room of the house at Grimmauld. But since they don't have a broom, they'll have to repeat the Levicorpus trick. This time it was alpha-blue who flew to the ceiling. After a few seconds, he showed the direction to the Potter's camera, which was floating in the air. Landing on the ground, he showed the direction, and Hermione wanted to making the way with fire, but she drew attention to the manipulation of the wizard from Russia.

He used pieces of web to make balls the size of no more than basketballs and then conjured them. A wide mouth, large eyes and a protruding nose appeared on their surface. The ball came to life and, muttering quietly in Russian (Hermione recognized only a few words and did not understand the meaning), began to roll on the web, tearing it off and winding more and more threads around it. Already a dozen balls were rushing along the web, growing in size before their eyes. Their muttering turned into indistinct bass noise. The larger the balls became, the faster they wound the web around them. The largest, apparently the first, even swallowed the corpse of a small acromantula and now bounced when moving due to the loss of its center of gravity.

"What is it?" Hermione asked Cristobal Junta.

"It's a 'kolobki'" his answer did not clarify the situation. "I think it's not worth wasting our efforts to destroy the web. We may need it."

Goran, with the help of spells, began to prepare the source material for Junta, and soon others followed the example of the Serb. A few minutes later, several dozen balls of various sizes were rushing around the wizards, quickly devouring the web.

At this time, the wizards who escorting the wounded couple returned together with four more latecomers with brooms on their shoulders. In addition to brooms, they had brought disturbing news. They saw the numerous lights of a military column approaching the south side of the hangar.

Potter viciously listened to the negotiations of his captors and thought about new opportunities that would appear when they began to free him from the web. Unfortunately, they were poor. He didn't think he could even punch one of them in the face. But he had to do something to hold the bastards until Hermione arrived.

He put himself in their shoes. What do they know? They know that he can't do magic in a suit, that he can't Apparate, and that he doesn't have any extra power to break the web. But they still afraid of surprises and they will act carefully. What will he do in such a situation? Prisoner must be tied up with a rope, instead of a web threads, using the "Incarcerous" spell, but for this we need to remove web. He would release the prisoner in several stages, for example, at first he would release the legs and tied them, and then he would release the upper part of body and also tied it. In that case the probability of surprises from the prisoner is less.

"What will he do if they choose such strategy?"

As Potter thought, his captors must have drawn the same conclusions and began to carefully burn the cobwebs around his legs. Burning threads of web obscured the view with gray smoke. Potter did not feel the heat, but he felt that his legs were free. But not for long. Conjured thick cords again deprived him of his mobility. Matus Ira and his bearded companion raised their wands, and Potter realized that he would have only a few seconds of freedom for a hastily invented trick.

Ira and his partner were very fast. As soon as the flame licked the cobwebs from Potter's spacesuit, the magical cords had swaddled him tightly again. But in that brief second, while Potter's hands were free, he managed to extend his right hand and pressed the left to his chest. Through the synthetic fabric of his glove, he felt the coveted joystick of the video box. The ropes could no longer prevent his thumb from moving the ring on the joystick downward.

The glittering sphere rushed into its parking space and flew straight into Potter's extended right hand. His fingers found the transportation bracket and hanged on to it tightly, while the ring on the staff was once again set to maximum distance. The enchanted metal ball sharply pulled Potter's hand, trying to fly away from the joystick, but it failed to escape and so it was dragging the spacesuit up. The gloomy faces of the captors flashed and disappeared below. The ball sought to fly away to a predetermined distance from the joystick, but since the joystick pursued the ball, the flight did not stop when it reached the predetermined orbit, but continued at the same speed. Potter was carried away away from the captors, deeper into the hangar full of cobwebs. For some reason he thought of Baron Munchausen pulling himself out of the swamp by his hair.

The free flight did not last as long as Potter would have liked. A series of explosive spells and pistol shots caught up with him. One of the spells hit his right hand. His fingers unclenched and he flew down into the web.

The company commander, captain Martinez, did not believe in mysticism. Even in Sunday school in San Diego, he had developed a strong dislike for all kinds of spirituality and religiosity that went against logic. But there were several inexplicable episodes in his life. For example, in 2002 in Afghanistan. He was sent to check the local residents of Toli-Bager for harbouring of rebel fighters. He drove through a narrow mountain valley for several hours, but to his shame, he could not find the village.

He would have buried the hope of an promotion if he returned to the base and said that he had not found the village. Therefore, he decided not to risk his reputation. His rangers had simply checked the nearby village Toli-Dur, and had found three fighters. However, they were forced to kill them allegedly at resistance, in other case he couldn't change quietly the name of the village in his report. What was mystical in this story? A year later he rode through this invisible village and could not understand for the life of him how he could not find it in his time.

And today, some kind of devilry was going on too. They headed to the hangar and almost reached it when he suddenly gave the command to return. Why he thought they were on patrol and their shift is over, he could not have explained under torture. But further - it is more. A black SUV appeared literally out of thin air in front of his "strike", and employees of some Department of the NSA in classic suits demanded to stop. Then there was a flash from a device that looked like a fountain pen, and he finally realized that he was leading the convoy to the base, contrary to the direct order of the Colonel. The captain was extremely shocked at the prospect of a conversation with his superiors. But the people in black reassured him, explaining that the whole convoy was exposed to the prototype of a secret psychotropic weapon that fell into the hands of a group of terrorists hiding in a hangar. And now the captain has to eliminate these terrorists, and NSA employees will accompany the convoy to prevent for the psy-impact.

So they all moved on together. The NSA SUV led the way, followed by the command APC and fire support APC, and then the rest vehicles of the column from his company's three platoons and the heavy weapons platoon.

The captain glanced at the screen transmitting video from the drone [1]. The cameraman of 'Raven' had just holded the night-vision camera on the opened hangar gate. Six figures were clearly visible on the screen, on the shoulders of which were objects suspiciously similar to hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.

"Give me a picture of these people," the officer ordered the operator.

Cam zoomed picture in, electronics adjusted the sharpness, and details became visible. To the captain's surprise, it was not anti-tank hand grenades. Four of the six carried brooms on their shoulders.

They had lost a lot of time because of Potter's trick, and now a group of wizards, keepers of the mystery of 'The greatest deception of the twentieth century', were returning along the path just laid through the web. Nielsen levitated securely tied with ropes carcass of an astronaut, and agent Jay carried the camera joystick. A sphere with a video camera was floating near his right shoulder. Everyone listened and peered, their wands were ready.

They almost reached the back rooms and, therefore, the exit from the hangar, but they were suddenly bombarded with spells. Agent Jay was at the forefront and that's why he received three Stupefy spells at once. He blocked two of them from above, but he missed the third, which was at floor level, and fell on concrete. The joystick fell out of his pocket, and a sphere with a camera began to fly around the epicenter of the battle. Next to him fell the chief editor of Lumos, who was struck by the next series of Stupefy spells. Potter who was levitated by him, crashed to the floor and immediately with no confuse hit the legs of a bearded wizard. The man lost his balance and fell into the web. A second later, two spells hit his unprotected body.

A few moments of combat were passed, but only two men were stayed on their feet. It was the officer, firing from his knee at the flying figures on broomsticks, and Ira, holding the shield over both of them. Ira could not attack, for the red beams of the Stupefy were coming at them in continuous bursts.

The Colonel emptied his magazine, replaced it with new one, and putting the gun in his holster, yanked Potter's leg who tried to crawl away, dragging him under the dome of Matus Ira's shield. Snatching out a knife, he slashed the ropes entangling the carcase of the prisoner, opening access to the locking lever. Opening the latch, the colonel pressed Potter to the ground and opened his suit with a jerk.

"Listen up, everyone," he yelled. "Either you stop firing or I'll stab him in the liver."

Potter jerked, trying to get out from under the colonel, but the man really thrust a couple of inches of the blade into his unprotected back. The Colonel had a rich practical experience in applied anatomy.

"Don't move, guy, otherwise you'll cut yourself into pieces," he growled at him.

Potter froze and listened. The spells had indeed ceased.

"Give us Potter, and we'll let you go," said the voice from above, amplified by Sonorus.

"We need guarantees," the officer shouted.

"I can give you an unbreakable vow," came a voice from the ceiling.

The Colonel looked inquiringly at Ira, who was still holding the shield and had shifted to cover the bearded man and the editor. The Advisor nodded and shouted himself:

"We'll settle for an unbreakable vow. But only from Granger."

Taking advantage of the hesitations of the attackers, he quickly threw the non-verbal Innervate to Nielsen and again took refuge in the pearl dome of the shield. Nielsen regained consciousness with a groan, picked up his wand and brought the bearded man to his senses, freeing him from the web. Together, they pulled the NSA agent under Ira's shield and brought him to his senses.

for a while nothing happened, some strange noise grew only louder. Soon the web began to tremble violently. The officer looked warily toward the source of the sound, his knife aimed at the prisoner's liver. Suddenly the web was crushed under a huge ball, taller than a man. As the entire web was wound, the ball stopped. A smiling face appeared on it surface and stared at the wizards.

In the space that opened after the disappearance of the web, they saw a group of wizards with Granger at the head. Matus Ira had three children and five grandchildren, so he easily determined that she was six months pregnant. Then his eyes rested on her companion, and he could not restrain an exclamation:

"Cristobal! Is that you?"

"It's me, Matus. It's me. Long time no see."

Cristobal Junta approached, took off his hat, and bowed ceremoniously.

"You broke your oath," Ira angrily threw. "Why are you still alive?"

"What oath do you mean? The oath to keep your secret?" Junta laughed. "I didn't break it. I'm just walking here protecting a beautiful lady. My unbreakable vow doesn't forbid me to do so…

"Speaking of unbreakable vow," Hermione abruptly interrupted their conversation. "you wanted security in exchange for Harry. I'm ready to guarantee you all an unimpeded exit from the hangar. Will this suit you?"

The wizard nodded. Some time was spent on clarifying the wording, and then Granger and Ira crossed their arms, and Junta witnessed an unbreakable vow.

The four wizards and the officer calmly left the hangar, while Harry got out of his suit and hugged his brave wife.

A few minutes later captain Martinez finally received the signal to begin the assault.

[1] The tactical screen in the APC 'Strike' looks like at this photo: www . pichome . ru / image / DY2


	11. If the enemy does not surrender

**If the enemy does not surrender... **

_he destroys you _

"Okay, guys! I'm very glad to see you all, but we need to get out of here," Potter clapped his hands, attracting the attention of his best students team.

"It's a fact that they're waiting for us outside. And they are ready to fire. Perhaps the soldiers will be ordered to storm the hangar. So we'll leave through the roof. Unfortunately, we have only four brooms, but..." Harry took a quick look at his comrades, resting a moment on the unfamiliar face of Cristobal Junta. "There are twelve men and one house-elf here. Therefore, only passengers apparate in the first run, while others leave this place in the second. We need to fly to the border of Anti-Apparition Charms. Has anyone checked the radius?"

Alpha Black had something to say:

"When we escorted the wounded reds, we saw where they could Apparate," he explained in a thick German accent. "It's about 200 meters. You'd say 600-700 feet."

"Okay. But we must divert the attention of our enemy. So, first of all, we will create a smokescreen in the gate area," he turned to a group of wizards with brooms. "The blue team at the North gate, you passed through them, and the black at the South. Do it on the fly. Keep a low profile. Hold everything down. Do not let the spell dissipate."

The fighters nodded and rushed to comply.

"The greens and yellows create an army of golems and send them to the gate. Do not forget to warm them up a bit so that they look alive on the thermal imagers."

"Will the Walking Dead be better?" fighter in yellow jacket with sign 'A' on breast slyly smiled. "I think the extra emotional impact on the Muggles can help us."

Potter grinned.

"They won't notice it in the dark and fog. So don't sweat it. They should be simple. Create as many of them as possible." He turned to the Serb "Goran, Kreacher. The entrances from the back rooms should be locked tightly, set the alarms and traps. Can you do it?"

"Easy," said Jovanovic.

"Okay. Go."

The wizards run away to complete the tasks, and only Hermione and Junta remained in place. Harry looked on unfamiliar wizard and held out hand:

"I'm Harry Potter."

"Cristobal Junta, I'm at your service." The wizard shook his hand. "Very nice to meet you. I would like to note that I have not yet mastered your Apparation method, so I'll need a help."

"I'll get that." Potter said. "Did you make those balls?"

He raised his arm and pointed at three dozen balls that swayed and mumbled from a distance.

"Yes," Junta smiled, "It is the result of the introduction to the Russian…"

He didn't finish. The silence of the hangar was interrupted by the deafening roar of heavy machine-gun fire. Lights of military equipment appeared in a thick cloud of fog. The turrets of the armored personnel carriers, that were dimly visible through the haze, belched a tracer stream of bullets. Deadly leaden rain was ripping apart humanoid figures who were hastily transfigured from the web. Unfortunately, there were very few of them.

Cristobal Hunta shook his head disapprovingly, watching this onslaught and waved his cane. Four of the biggest Koloboks rolled up to him. Muttering a few Latin formulas, Junta transformed the balls. They turned gray as metal. The wizard sharply pointed with his cane in the direction of armored vehicles, and balls began rolling, slowly gaining speed. Harry covered himself and his companions with a magic shield, suggesting what might happen.

APC gunners detected the approach of new targets and concentrated all their fire on them. A metallic clang was added to the roar of machine-gun fire. The surface of the balls was covered with bunches of sparks from ricocheting bullets. They flew in all directions, drawing strange curve lines, and some of them even struck Potter's magic shield. But all this lead stream with a high level of kinetic energy could not stop the huge inertial force of iron. Koloboks hit the target with a roar.

One of the armored vehicles rolled onto its side from a blow, and the ball dragged it across the concrete floor until they slammed into the hangar's support column. The second armoured vehicle was hit directly on the nose. The ball rolling across the roof, crushed and destroyed weapons and surveillance equipment. Then Kolobok flopped onto concrete from the stern of a half-crushed APC, shattering a slab. The third APC tried to dodge and got a hit on a tangent. It was turned around and two front left wheels were ripped off from a blow. It was seen as the armor-piercing doors of the troop compartment opened, and soldiers in camouflage jumped out of the APC and ran like hell. The fourth APC, standing at a distance, roared its engine and drove away raising its speed. The ball, which had followed it, disappeared in the fog.

The roar of gunfire gave way to silence, filled with the hum of engines of defeated machines and the moan of the wounded soldiers. One of the wizards in blue flew to Potter.

"We have created a hole in the roof. We are ready for evacuation."

Potter nodded. One fighter was sent for Goran and Kreacher who, it turns out, also successfully repelled an attack in the back rooms. Rather, the attack failed in the literal sense of the word. The swamp that opened under the feet of the attacking group completely broke their plans. Goran even disarmed the soldiers using Summoning Charms, and he brought a lot of assault rifles when he arrived at the meeting point.

They argued a little about the order of Apparition. Both wizards in black were wounded by bullets, fortunately they were slightly injured, and, of course, they first who had to send in Zwijndrecht. One of the yellow fighters was a girl, and Harry without hesitation assigned her to third place in the group, but there were problems with the fourth. Hermione refused to leave without Harry, but Harry was adamant. Finally he warned her that he would use Imperio if she didn't comply. Goran was agree with Harry and vowed to Hermione that he would keep an eye on her husband and ensure his safe return to Grimmauld. And the woman gave up.

They climbed to the roof in two stages. It was quiet and dark. The sky was obscured by a layer of clouds, through which the Moon shone dimly. From time to time, shots and screams rang out in the hangar. The last batch of golems, modified by Junta and armed with captured assault rifles, now howled with scary voices and occasionally fired in the direction of the besiegers. These actions should at least somehow distract attention from what was happening on the roof.

Potter was sitting on the broom, and Hermione was behind him, pressing her rounded belly to his back. She held by the waist with only one hand, and the other held the sphere with a video camera. Potter gave the signal and took off. Four loaded brooms flew in a spiral, gaining height.

"I hope we aren't spotted," Potter was thinking.

But things run smoothly. The rectangle of the hangar grew smaller and smaller. When they reached two hundred meters, they hung motionless, and the passengers easily Apparated. Two wounded soldiers to the healer in Belgium, and Hermione and the girl in yellow, with a spacesuit on her shoulders, went to London.

Four wizards on brooms swooped down to rescue the remaining comrades. They loaded and took off again, without a command, as agreed. Two fighter couples were flying ahead. Junta was carried by Goran, and Harry flew with alpha-yellow and Kreacher. The overloaded broom was barely crawling. Goran flew with the same speed keeping his promise to cover Potter By the way, he also had an additional load in the form of Chinese fireworks. When the first couple climbed two-thirds, they were only about one hundred feet above the roof.

Suddenly they were blinded by the glare of the artificial sun. There was no doubt of his magical nature. At the same time, there was a roar of gunfire, and dozens of tracers crossed on two loaded broomsticks. Most of the tracer bullets came from the ground, but a few of them came from the sky. Harry looked and saw two helicopters. They hung motionless in the air, their blades whirling absolutely noiselessly.

Lead rain did its bloody job. The torn bodies of four wizards and the broom splinters flew to the roof of the hangar. Harry dived down without slowing down and flew into a hole in the roof. Goran and Junta followed him into the hangar. Seconds later, un-guided missiles from helicopters began to explode outside, dropping that section of the roof.

This evening broke all the records of the absurd from the point of view of Captain Martinez. At first there was a strange disorientation of the convoy. Then there were strange manipulations of NSA officers. Finally this strange fog and human figures on the thermal imagers appeared. His shooters fired several bursts of machine-gun one after the other accurately into this humans, but they did not think to fall. And it was strange. Even a heavy bulletproof vest can't make a person indifferent to the bullets.

But thoughts of strange people flew out of the captain's head when he saw huge four-meter balls approached to his armored personnel carriers. All the fire without command was focused on them, but it was useless. Bullets ricocheted from their surface. Without thinking twice, the captain shouted over the radio to the drivers to avoid the balls. But it was too late. Only his APC could avoid danger, the others were simply crushed.

But it wasn't enough. The ball they avoided began to change course almost without slowing. They acted like a heat-seeking missile! It was like a nightmare come to life. The captain's armored car was fleeing from pursuit, making sharp maneuvers, but the ball did not lag behind. It ended as strangely as it had begun. The NSA jeep had reached the iron ball. There was a slight flash, and the ball turned into a big shapeless heap of some dirty ropes.

"Captain! Check your people. Increase your vigilance. It's all just a distraction," the Colonel's voice shouted over the radio.

Damn it if it's just a distraction. Three armored vehicles were turned into scrap metal. But he really had to check on his personnel, because with all this absurd pursuit he had lost control of the company.

Things were going badly. The only good news is no one died. There were a few wounded in the crushed 'Strikes', but not seriously. But there was happened one more devilry with the assault group directed through back rooms. A dozen men were up to their necks in a swamp, that appeared in the middle of the dining room. In addition, according to them, their rifles escaped from their hands and flew off into the corridor. The brain refused to understand what happened, and Martinez, trying to be correct, demanded an explanation from the Colonel.

Instead of an explanation, he received a flash in the eye from one of the NSA officers and for some reason calmed down. Strange things ceased to bother him. He felt that he only wanted to accurately and correctly follow the orders of the commander. He quickly cheered up the platoons commanders and regrouped forces. The next assault was to begin with the support of NSA agents. The captain was already convinced that they could oppose something to this heresy that was going on around. And this fact calmed him down and gave confidence.

But the heresy continued. Night vision camera on one of the drones spotted four objects flying in the sky above the hangar. The captain noted indifferently to himself that they looked like two pairs of people flying on broomsticks. He reported this fact, and the Colonel began yelling demanding shoot them immediately.

"How can we shoot? It is too dark. You will give the light, right? Okay. We will do fire support."

And indeed, after a while the lights came on over the hangar, and figures of people became clearly visible in the sights of the machine guns. Very soon it was just pieces of minced meat falling from a height. There was information from helicopter that two more objects hid in a hangar. Well, another assault will be.

The four wizards and the home-elf, disguised by Disillusionment Charms, stood near the sliding gate and waited for the moment. Two dozen balls rolled from the hangar to the lights of the army trucks, burning with a blood oil flame. The burning tracks to the armored vehicles was left behind them like hell hand fan. It was a beautiful sight, but the real purpose of this fire show was to damage the vehicles illuminating the space in front of the hangar, to spread panic among the enemy, to blind the thermal imagers and allow the invisible men to reach the cherished distance of two hundred meters under the cover of chaos.

To the surprise of Harry and his companions, there was no firing from the military. Balls rolled on concrete rather calmly until they crossed a wide white strip one hundred fifty feet from the hangar. A groan of disappointment rang out among the wizards. Before their eyes flaming cannonballs turned into smoldering balls of cobwebs. By inertia, they rolled another fifteen feet and stopped, turning into two dozen shapeless piles of smoldering cobwebs.

It became clear why the wizards did not participate in the first assault. They needed time to draw a spell-breaking ring around the entire hangar. But now it was impossible to run away unnoticed.

Magical light flooded the gate. It was seen as army engines roared and vehicles started approaching the hangar. A black civilian SUV with tinted windows was leading the convoy. The eye of an experienced wizard could discern the film of a stationary protective spell that covered it. The same films covered all other vehicles.

"Well, gentlemen," the voice of the Potter asked the invisible comrades, "do you have any ideas? I really don't have any."

"It's pointless to fight," said alpha yellow. "We have no chance. It's necessary to somehow deceive them and go past them."

"Do you suggest to walk five hundred feet in an open field beyond the line of broken spells?" Goran's voice was full of doubt. "We better hide inside and let them think that we tricked them and left."

"They have experienced wizards on their team," Junta reminded. "I'm sure Ira will think about this opportunity, and the hangar will be thoroughly searched."

While the wizards were talking, the tinted jeep pulled up to the line and crossed it. The protective spell on it didn't break. One of the reserve koloboks began to run, aiming at the car. Apparently, Junta has taken initiative. The ball hadn't time to increase speed. But that was inconsequential. The ball, like its predecessors, turned into a shapeless mass of cobwebs, long before the crash. The jeep carefully drove round its remains and finally came under the arches of the hangar.

"Potter, give up," Matus Ira sounded in reinforced Sonorus. "Resistance is futile. If you surrender voluntarily, your companions are guaranteed life. Don't make people die because of you. If you will come out and surrender, I'm ready to give you an unbreakable vow that all your companions will live. Of course, we will correct their memory, but we do not need their lives, and you can save it for them."

As the black jeep was broadcasting, a several of army hummers also crossed the spell-breaking line and began pass through the gate. Men in black business suits could be seen between soldiers in camouflage in each car.

"Let's go fast to the back rooms," Potter commanded quietly.

He wanted to talk to his comrades without invisibility. And the only place for this was the service rooms of the hangar.

"Have you decided to give up?" Goran asked him when they stopped and took off the disguise.

"In general, yes," Potter said.

"But this man didn't say a word about your life, master!" Kreacher exclaimed.

Potter grinned:

"Ira is a straightforward and honest person of a kind. He has already told us I have to die to keep the U.S. government's moon scam secret, and he won't retreat from his words. But you, my friends, have no reason to die with me…"

"NO!" the house-elf shouted. "I will not allow Lord Black to be harmed. He must leave this place."

"But how!?" Potter exclaimed. "We can't Apparate! Ira killed a house-elf to shut down this hangar from elven apparition, and I don't know the spell or ritual that could break that blood magic."

Kreacher looked at Potter with his large eyes, and his face took on a certain solemnity.

"Sacrificed elf releases a lot of magic, but voluntary sacrifice releases much more."

With this words, the house-elf pulled an army knife from under his tunic, apparently taken from one of the attackers.

"Let the elven ways be open to master Black and his friends," the house-elf said, and with a smile he drove the blade into his heart."

Potter ran to Kreacher. Kneeling down, house-elf pulled out the blade and drew a shape in the air, splashing Potter with blood. He died in Harry's arms.

Everyone was shocked by this event.

Goran patted the yellow-jacketed wizard on the shoulder. When he turned around, the Serb said:

"Owen, apparate at Grimmauld."

The wizard nodded and disappeared with a clap. Jovanovic has disturbed Harry.

"You must take advantage of his sacrifice, or it will be meaningless."

Potter stood up, holding in arms Kreacher who became another house-self who had given his life for him. A tear was trickling down his cheek.

"Harry, pull yourself together. You're the only one who can get Mr. Junta on Grimmauld, so go ahead and Apparate, and I'll be right behind you."

Potter nodded silently. Cristobal Junta took his hand and they disappeared. The Serb was left alone. He listened to the sounds coming from the hangar. Ira's voice repeated his suggestions again and again. It was obvious that this was not an audio record, because the intonations were not so calm and persuasive. A sincere hatred for daring son of a bitch, who encroached on the order of things, were flashing in these words. Goran grinned.

"That's how you keep the Statute of secrecy, Kind sir. You work hard for Muggles. It's not good."

So saying, he threw back the lid of the barrel with a Chinese fireworks. Under the lid was a handle in the shape of a wriggling dragon. The dragon turned his wooden snout to Goran and raised his gold plated vibrissa. The Serb's hand rested firmly on the handle.

"Obliviate," whispered the wizard, turned the handle around the axis and Apparated to the house at Grimmauld.

If in this hangar were any supernatural being, for whom the flying bumblebee moved its wings slowly and lazily, and the entire world seemed to be motionless, it would see a delightful and terrifying sight. Even before the barrel turned into an unbearably bright and hot flash, the space around it distorted and flowed, as if the creator of this world was some crazy fan of Salvador Dali's works. The concrete floor, covered with old tiles, began trembling like the surface of a pond in the wind. The walls suddenly lost their parallelism to each other, and the ceiling formed small holes through which the emptiness of space tried to seep. But it didn't have time to do this. Solid light was born in the heart of the barrel. Expanding and straightening, it devoured the wooden walls at first, then the drywall partitions and the ceiling. All this simply disappeared, saturating the newborn. The light leapt out of the back rooms and rushed toward the hangar walls, penetrating into the flesh of men and the steel of vehicles.

The light slowed when he finally met a barrier of corrugated steel sheets on the wall and ceiling. He couldn't immediately eat so much matter. It slowly evaporated under his pressure, but did not hurry to disappear completely. But a wave of air, delighted to the breaking of molecular bonds, saturated with evaporated metal and silica, was rushing to help. Air and light together tore the creation of human hands as bad origami.

The light rushed to free, toward the stars and the horizon, growing softer and quieter and breaking up into a thousand rays. And his assistant, air, of course lagged. Air followed the light, spattering steel that melted like ice cream, scattering concrete slabs that were inadvertently wrenched out of the ground and vehicles that were twisted into a knot, but this race was hopeless. The light sped off and disappeared, leaving its sluggish companion. Chagrined air slowly returned to where he had just fled so suddenly for itself. On the way he kicked and chased before him everything that had not had time to fly away at his furious tug. Returning to the remains of the hangar, the air felt unusually light and rushed up to the serene dome of the sky.

And the sight of giant mushroom that was growing on the site of the hangar, was only observed from afar by stunned animals and birds.


	12. Affairs of bygone days

**Affairs of bygone days...**

_are legends of old people_

The mood of the people gathered on Grimmauld was ambivalent. The anxiety of a long wait gave way to the joy of returning. And then joy was poisoned with grief over the lost comrades. Hermione thought what she would say to the mothers and wives of the dead soldiers, and all the words against reality seemed false and empty.

Kreacher's body was put into stasis. Potter decided to make a mortal mask of the elf and only then bury him near the grave of Dobby. They wanted to send Potter to Zwijndrecht to heal countless bruises that covered the whole body, but he refused to leave the living room until they told him how they had found and rescued him.

Hermione quickly told the story of her rescue expedition and finally publicly thanked Cristobal Junta for his help The attention of all present immediately switched to the mysterious wizard from Russia. But he refused to answer many questions and suggested first to watch video record from the lunar box. This proposal was met with unanimous agreement, and here is on the huge TV screen in living room at Grimmauld Place Potter's adventure story began to unfold.

People flinched at the sight of spiders trying to bite through the suit. Nielsen's monologues shocked all of them not less than Ira's 'Awada'. And when the recording ended, Junta stood up and solemnly announced:

"Dear friends, now I can answer all your questions. Until now, I had been bound by an unbreakable vow, forbidding the disclosure of what I knew to those who were not involved in in by the American side. This movie removed all restrictions, and now I don't have to keep the secret of the greatest deception of the 20th century in communication with you."

When the people stopped make noise and calmed down, Junta began:

"It took me a while to understand what I want to tell you. It took a lot of time and changes, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the big changes in the world of Muggles and the technology development in means of communication, to put together the pieces of the puzzle, that I'll present you now.

"It all began in 1968 with the report of the chief architect of the Lunar program Werner von Braun. He found it impossible to provide a manned landing on the moon. The problem was in the upper hydrogen stage of the Saturn launching vehicle. The scheduled date of the expedition was approaching, but the creators of the rocket had not a single successful launch of this engine from an low-Earth orbit. They had upper stage with reliable oxygen-kerosene engines but it hadn't produce enough total impulse and so could not accelerate a bunch of 'Apollo' and a full-fledged lander to the second cosmic velocity. All that Werner von Braun could provide was a manned flight around the moon and the descent of an extremely lightweight unmanned module to its surface.

"Additional funding was required and, most importantly, time. But they hadn't time at all. They thought that the Russian much less ambitious lunar program was almost at the finish line. Another Soviet victory in the space race was coming.

"It wasn't known in whose head the idea of a simulated landing was born, but it was increasingly taking possession of the minds of those who made decisions. The Independent Press has long been an obedient tool, and no one doubted that falsification could be shown as a triumph. Only understanding that it is impossible to hide deception from eyes of the main rival stopped them. Moreover, they needed a Soviet Union public admission of defeat in the Space Race. It could only be so and not otherwise. But what 'lentil stew' could be offered to Russians for the 'birthright'?

"We need to remember that the whole world was waiting for the third world war. That the antagonism of the two ideological poles will sooner or later be resolved by force of arms. The Caribbean crisis had just ended, by historical standards. The U.S. is mired in the Vietnam war. The flywheel of the Nuclear arms race was spinning. Against the background of sabre-rattling, those who actually made decisions have already adopted a new strategy in which they planned to defeat the socialist camp without violence. The plan, that was born in the Langley think tanks, which distorted reflections are called the 'Dulles Doctrine', included the demoralization of the USSR and the entire socialist camp. It included decomposition of society from within. And to implement this plan, the United States had to work very seriously to restore the image of the 'Empire of Good'. One of the cornerstones of this image was excellence in space. Therefore, the victory in the lunar race was a matter of principle.

"And again I don't know the author of the idea of how to make Russians to accept the fake and affirm it with their authority. But it was brilliant. They guaranteed the Russians that they would not be the first to use nuclear weapons. And they guaranteed this not with pieces of paper, but seriously, with the help of magic. It was indeed an offer that the Russians could not refuse.

"Now begins the story in which I was directly involved. In January 69, the well-known Matus Ira contacted me. He, or those who sent him, rightly assumed that I used to belong to the upper strata of USSR and had some authority there. At the meeting, he handed me a personal letter from the newly elected President Nixon to the General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. Ira proposed the implementation of long-term magical contract and asked me to help to convince the Russian government to the seriousness of the American side. I thought it over and agreed. Of course, Brezhnev took all this with caution, but I was convincing and promised to personally participate in the implementation of the promises of the American side. In the end, Brezhnev agreed. He was not a rocket fanatic like Khrushchev. On the one hand it was good, but in some ways it was sad…"

Junta heaved a sigh at his own thoughts, then pulled out the original photograph, which Goran magically reproduced for the jump to the hangar.

"This is the entire team of wizards who worked on the cover of the Lunar deception. In the spring of 69, we created a whole system of permanent charms, activated during the inauguration of the President of the United States. The words that the new President was supposed to say according to the constitution, at the same time became the signature of the magic contract. Thus, since 69, the USSR might no longer be afraid of a nuclear strike. Well, at least a full-scale one. Our spells didn't protect us from accidental launches or demented submarine captains. In return, the Soviet government ended its lunar program and accepted advantage of Americans. And we can say that the decline of the USSR began from that moment."

An exclamation of surprise was heard among the audience.

"Yes. Yes." Junta confirmed his words. "It was the landmark event that triggered a chain of changes, which then grew into the triumph of the capitalist model of the economy and the victory of the ideology of consumer society. And the amazing experiment that took place before my eyes on the territory of Russia ended in murderous riots.

"I, who have lived on earth for seven centuries, did not have enough wisdom to see the Trojan horse, and I sentenced my work to crush. I devoted it so much time."

Everyone saw that it was difficult for him to telling about this. The living room was silent. Everyone looked at Junta and its changed face, which suddenly stopped to remind about the Inquisition. Hermione looked at the DVD of Harry's adventures and said:

"So, do we have a real bomb in our hands?"

Junta nodded.

"Yes. But it is impossible to blow it up without violating the 'Statute of Wizarding Secrecy'. This knowledge is not valuable to you, but it can damage you." Junta smiled, but there was no kindness in that smile. "Those who lead the global game, probably want to protect their bets."

"You've mentioned these mysterious decision-makers more than once. Who are they?" Katarina asked.

"I don't know exactly who they are, senorita. And I don't want to disclose my presumption and supposition."

"So we need to catch this Ira and press him hard to tell who he's working for," someone from the militants cried. And he was noisily supported.

"We can't do that," Jovanovich said softly.

"Why not?" the alpha-black snapped. "Aren't we going to be able to steal him carefully from some scientific event? Don't talk rubbish."

"I never talk nonsense," Goran snapped in reply. "I activated a Chinese firework when I left the hangar. Matus Ira was thirty meters away. So he had no chance to survive. I hope everyone who shot at us today and killed our friends died there."

The living room was filling with buzz from this news. Exclamations were heard: "Holy shit!", "Well you give!", "Excellent!" but Goran was looking at Hermione and waiting for her anger.

"How could you, Goran?" she exploded. "Are you crazy? There were about a hundred people."

"There were no people," Goran said. "There were soldiers. I did not kill a single innocent or peaceful person, unlike those bastards with stars and stripes who shot at my people. Who bombed churches, schools, hospitals with impunity. They killed thousands of civilians, and they lost only two. I was just trying to change the ratio."

"And what? Are you going to bomb churches and schools and hospitals now, too?" Hermione shouted at the Serb. "When will you stop? Will you stop when you reach thousands? You're not up to your elbows in blood, you're swimming in it!"

All were silent, watching this outburst of anger. Cristobal Junta broke the silence.

"I will not excuse the young man's action," but I will say that he did a favor.

Hermione glared at Junta, but she did not dare to yell at ancient wizard. He continued calmly:

"Those who make the decisions know very well that there was danger on your part. To eliminate it, they sent one of the best performers and even gave him troops. They thought it was an absolute guarantee of success. But soon they will know that you have escaped from the trap, and all who caught you are dead. This is a signal to them that there is an unaccounted factor. That maybe you have a lot more power than they thought before. And in addition, it's a signal that you do not have weakness that inexcusable from their point of view. You do not follow the norms of morality. They judge only by themselves, and they do not shy to kill millions of people for their own purposes. So, if before I heard this news, I thought that all of you would be hunted," he said, waving his hand around the room, a gesture that brought everyone together. "Now I'm sure there will be negotiations first."

"We all," Hermione made the same gesture as Junta, "we want to build a world without deception and violence. In which wizards will help Muggles and will earn love, not fear. Along this way, we will do things by which we will later be judged. I don't want the path to the goal to be littered with corpses."

"You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone." Junta smiled like an inquisitor. "But I like your determination. I myself have been trying for a long time to solve the problem of building an ideal society. In the USSR, I was close to it and during the destruction of the Union gained a lot of knowledge about possible mistakes. So, the rejection of the real view of the world and following the ideal concepts is just one of the most disastrous mistakes. You are at the beginning of the road, and I advise you to think about it. But now I suggest you calm down and avoid sudden movements, which you may regret in the future. Tell me more why you fell into this trap so early."

Granger was still warm, and Potter start answering. He told about estimations of the probability of various outcomes of an event and their consequences for the organization. About the decision to test the possibility of jumping to the moon. About the dangers of public disgrace in case that a jump would be impossible. About plans to simulate the jump with Goran under the Polyjuice Potion and the duplicate of the suit, if Potter will die in a test jump. Junta listened with interest to the story and smiled again, like a judge who has caught the accused on a self-accusing fact.

"You have just admitted your intention to make deception in order to save face. Dear senorita," he turned to Granger. "You are in step with the present rulers of the world. And I can't tell you how glad I am."

Hermione snorted, but said nothing again. She could not forget that Cristobal Junta was more than twenty times her age.

"And if you decide to try the test jump to the moon again, I'll even give you a real shot of the lunar surface."

Junta took a black-and-white photograph of the moon's lifeless surface from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to Potter.

"This is a picture of the lunar surface taken by a Russian self-propelled machine. Using it, you will not be trapped."

"Thank you, Mr. Junta," Potter thanked. "I'll use it, but I need some rest. It had been a stressful night."

Indeed. All present yawned from time to time, trying to hide it. The events of this night tired everyone. And those who fought, and those who tensely waited at Grimmauld. Potter suggested to end meeting and go home. The fighters shook hand with the commander and apparated. Katarina took Hermione into her bedroom to whisper. Dobson retired to his platform in the North Sea. Only Potter, Jovanovic and Junta stayed in the room. Junta again asked Goran for help in Apparition to home and asked Potter to teach him this method of transgression.

"Harry," Goran said. "How do you feel about what I did?"

Potter paused. He looked at the portrait of Sirius hanging on the wall and answered:

"I have not grown such an armor of cynicism as our dear guest," he nodded in Junta direction. "So I'll be honest, I was horrified by what you did. But on the other hand, I saw the results of forgiveness and condoning evil in my lifetime, so I understand you. Personally, I'm grateful to you for coming to my aid when I didn't expect it. But I'm sorry that you seem to have lost Hermione's trust."

"Time heals, young men," Cristobal Junta said. "She will realize that the goals she has set for herself cannot be achieved without violence. But you must remember that this is the weakest and most unreliable tool. Although it is very fast."


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_nineteen hours later_

Harry stood on the surface of the moon and admired the huge blue ball of his home planet. The lace of clouds covered most of it like a thick veil, and the British Isles were also invisible.

"Few will be able see fireworks on the moon." Potter thought and looked around.

The sunlight reflected from the earth's atmosphere illuminated the rocky lunar plain, the monotony of which was broken only by the white surface of the Russian lunar Rover. It stood lifeless with the open solar panel as a monument to human curiosity. Harry threw a dozen tennis balls, enchanted like portals, to the ground next to him and looked at the display of his helmet. The time before the first portal worked was rapidly approaching. A few seconds, and one of the balls turned blue glow and disappeared.

Potter breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that the portkeys worked at this distance meant that magic was not bounded with the biosphere. Magic is everywhere. This conclusion was very encouraging and promised that returning home would not be a problem.

The a sphere with a camera began to fly around him, and Potter stood in thought. Five days later, he will have to repeat the jump and return to Earth as the most famous wizard of the 21st century. He will be the winner. And then there will be so many tasks that he felt sorry for himself.

Another ball lit up and disappeared. Potter continued to think, as he had nothing to do. Why so? Why does he who didn't seek fame and glory always find it? What is his fate and purpose, if his life is so strange and eventful?

The balls disappeared one after another at minute intervals, reassuring friends who remained on Earth. Promising them that Potter will be back. And the first man on the moon looked at his planet and it seemed to him that the answer was before him. The whole planet needs healing. From deceit, envy, stupidity and greed. From laziness and indifference. And he has a powerful tool capable of this. It's Magic.


	14. From translator

**From translator**

Hi! This fanfic was translated, but I'm not native speaker, so I asked two assistants (echomcl, petite vie) to help me, but it tooks some time to correct my work. If you liked this work very much you can help us in public beta version

url: shorturl . at / sDIV3


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